Moving Mountains
by cindy123
Summary: Three Brothers...Prequel to The Lost Son. Sometimes, it isn't the biggest or the strongest that saves the day. Hurt/limp Dean and Daniel...hurt/limp Sam. Worried John/Caleb/Joshua
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all! I'm finally back with my new Three Brothers story. This is a prequel to The Lost Son. Daniel is 17...Dean is 16...Sam is 12. **

**Summary: While on a training mission in the wilderness, the hunters learn it isn't always the biggest and the strongest who will save the day.**

**Disclaimer: If you recognize them from the show, they don't belong to me. If you don't...they're all mine!!!!**

* * *

**Moving Mountains**

John stuffed the last of the supplies into the back of his truck before slamming the tailgate shut with a loud bang. He glanced over as Caleb strolled up to the curb and gazed into the back of the truck.

"You better not have forgotten the coffee, old man," the younger hunter said as he perused the boxes.

"It's there, Caleb…don't worry," John said with a grin as he shook his head and stepped up onto the sidewalk.

"Just checking, Johnny," Caleb replied.

John started toward the small house he and his boys had been living in for the past two months, the man looking over his shoulder and grinning as he watched Caleb climb into the bed of the truck and begin rummaging through the boxes. John continued to the house, eager to be on the road. There were just three things he had to check on before that could happen. He ascended the stairs to the porch and stepped through the front door, the screen door slamming shut behind him as he made his way to the stairs leading up to the second floor. He glanced up the stairs and smiled as he heard the sound of his son's voices rising with laughter as they prepared for their trip. John reined in his smile and put on his sternest face as he squared his shoulders.

"Boys! We leave in five! Get a move on!" he shouted up the stairs.

"Yes, sir! We're ready!" Dean's voice called from above.

"Then get your butts down here!" John called, the man chuckling as he listened to his boys rush around upstairs in obvious panic.

John moved into the livingroom to wait for his sons and took a seat on the sofa. A few moments later he was rewarded with the sound of footsteps hurrying down the stairs. He looked up as Sam came rushing into the livingroom, his backpack slung over one shoulder. Sam came to a halt and he smiled warmly when his eyes met his father's.

"Hey, Dad," the twelve year old said as he moved further into the room.

"Sammy…you have everything?" John asked, the tall man standing and walking up to his youngest.

Sam nodded as he gazed up at his father. "Yes. My sleeping bag's already in the truck and I have two changes of clothes, my compass and knife in my backpack," the boy answered eagerly.

John reached out and ruffled Sam's unruly hair and smiled warmly. "That's good. What about books?" he asked with a raise of his eyebrow.

"What?" Sam queried in return as his hazel eyes rose to meet his fathers.

"Did you sneak books in? This isn't a pleasure trip, Sam. We're going up there to train, not to lay around and read," John said sternly.

"I…uh…" Sam stammered, his eyes dropping to the floor.

"Sam…I told you, essentials only," John said as he took hold of Sam's arm and turned him around.

"'m sorry. I just thought that at night…"

"You'll be too tired to read at the end of the day. You'll need to get as much sleep as you possibly can," John interrupted as he unzipped Sam's backpack.

Sam bit at his bottom lip as John rummaged in his pack, his eyes catching sight of his brothers as they came down the stairs, packs and sleeping bags in hand. The two elder boys stopped, their gazes moving from Sam's sullen, stricken face to their father.

"Uh…Dad…we're ready," Daniel said, the eldest brother moving forward in the hopes of offering his baby brother support.

John looked up with dark eyes and nodded toward the door. "Go out and get your stuff in the truck. Sam and I will be out in a minute," John said, the man turning his attention back to Sam's pack and fully expecting his sons to obey without question.

"Yes, sir," the boys said, both looking at Sam apologetically before turning and walking out the front door.

John looked up when the screen door slammed then turned Sam back around. He held two books in his hands as he gazed down at his youngest son's upturned face. His heart clenched as he was suddenly struck with how much his baby reminded him of his beloved Mary. His inquisitive nature and love of books. His intelligence and quest for knowledge. The innocence in his eyes. John looked down at the books then back up at his son. He reached down and took Sam's hand then placed one of the books in his hand. Sam looked at the book in his hand then looked up at his father with confusion.

"I…what are you doing?" the boy asked softly.

"One half hour per night, Sammy. That's how long you can read before you have to hit the hay. You can read on the trip up and the trip back if you want, but once we get to camp, its work time," John replied, giving the boy a quick wink.

"Thanks, Dad," Sam said as he tugged the book next to his body.

John smiled down at the small boy then turned him toward the door. "We need to get on the road. Josh is already at the camp and we have a three hour drive ahead of us," he said as he followed Sam out the door.

Sam looked up as he hit the bottom step and smiled when he saw his brothers waiting for him near the back of John's truck. Caleb stood nearby, the hunter leant up against his own rig. John and Sam approached the three hunters and once Sam's backpack was stowed in the back of John's truck, they were ready to go.

"I'll ride with Caleb, if that's okay," Dean said as he gazed up at his father.

"That's fine with me," John said in reply.

Dean nodded then turned to his younger brother. "Don't talk their ears off, kiddo," he said as he ruffled Sam's hair.

Sam shook his brother off and lightly slugged Dean's arm. "I don't talk that much, Dean. Shut up!" he cried before sticking out his tongue at the older boy.

Dean laughed then turned to join Caleb who had already gotten into his SUV. He turned around and watched as first Sam, then Daniel climbed into the passenger side of John's truck. John was making his way around the truck when the sound of Dean's voice stopped him.

"You drive carefully, Dad," Dean called, his green eyes moving away from his father and settling on the two other occupants of the truck.

John nodded and smiled as he opened the driver's door. "I will, Dean. You and Caleb be careful too," he answered.

"We will. See you up there," Dean said.

John turned away and stepped up into his truck. The engine roared to life a few moments later then the large truck pulled away from the curb and headed down the street. Dean slid into the passenger seat of Caleb's rig and slammed the door shut. He turned to Caleb and nodded as he engaged his seatbelt. "Let's hit it, Caleb," he said with a grin.

* * *

Sam straightened and stretched his arms high above his head. He'd just packed in his fifth armload of firewood and he was worn out. The cabin that he and his family were sharing had a large fireplace at one end and just looking at the shabby walls was enough to know that they would need the heat. Sam looked down and blew out an exhausted breath before bending over and piling the load of wood onto the stack he had made with the previous four loads. He slid the last piece of wood into place then straightened again. He looked around the room and sighed heavily. This would be their home for the next week or so. No electricity, no running water, cracked windows and walls. They'd lived in worse. Sam shook his head and moved across the room toward the door. He stepped out onto the porch then bounded down the steps and ran up to his brothers.

"Hey, squirt…where you been?" Dean queried as he reached out and tugged his baby brother to his side.

"Been bringing in firewood while you've been looking at that Playboy you snuck into your duffel," Sam said with a snort.

Dean pulled away and stared down at his little brother. "Wh…I…no I wasn't!" he cried indignantly. "You know, Sammy…you're quite the smartass for such a little kid!"

"Better to be a smartass than a dumbass," Sam said with a grin, the boy nearly busting out laughing at the look of shock on Dean's face.

"Hey…better not let Dad hear you talking like that, little man," Daniel said as he lightly slugged his brother on the arm.

Sam gazed up at his eldest brother and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Danny," he whispered.

Daniel shook his head and reached out to ruffle his baby brother's hair. "Don't worry about it, kiddo," he said affectionately.

"Boys!" John's voice boomed, prompting the three brothers to swiftly turn and face the direction that the Winchester patriarch was calling from.

"Yeah, Dad!?" Daniel called back as he moved toward his father.

John strolled quickly towards his boys and stopped just in front of his eldest son. "I've set up a training course in the woods due east. I want you and Dean to take this map and follow it. You have two hours. We have an early morning, so get it done and get back here so you can get to bed," John instructed as he handed a folded piece of paper to Daniel.

Sam moved forward and gazed up at his father. "What about me, Dad? Aren't I going with them?" he asked with wide hazel eyes.

John looked down into his youngest son's upturned face and smiled. "Not this time, Sammy…"

"But, Dad…you said we were coming up here for training. You said I would be training too," Sam cried.

"Not when it's dark, kiddo…it's to dangerous," Dean said, the older boy reaching out to squeeze Sam's shoulder.

Sam turned to his brother and stared up at him. "I'm not a little kid, Dean!" he snapped before turning back to his father. "Dad…I can do this. Please let me go with them," he pleaded.

"Son, you'll get plenty of training, but not tonight. This is for Daniel and Dean," John explained.

"You always say that. You don't think I can do anything…none of you do!" Sam cried.

Daniel reached out and grasped his baby brother's shoulder. He gently turned him then crouched down until he was eye level with the smaller boy. "Sammy…I get it, okay. You want to be doing what Dean and I are doing, but you're not quite ready yet to be out there in the dark. Dean and I have been training at home for this. You'll get your chance…when you're a little older…and a little bigger," the eldest brother said, his heart clenching at the look in his baby brother's eyes.

Sam gazed at his brother with wet, wide eyes. "I've been training too. I've been shooting, and I know how to use the compass and Dad's been teaching me tracking. I know I'm small, but I can do this," he said.

"Sam…this isn't up for discussion," John said sternly as he turned his son back around. "You are not going with your brothers and that's final."

"But, Dad…"

"No buts, Sam. I want you to go in and get the fire going then I want you to eat something before you go to bed. Believe me, you're going to need the rest for tomorrow," John said, his dark eyes staring down at the boy and leaving no room for anymore arguments.

Sam's shoulders sagged and he dropped his eyes to the ground at his feet. "Yes, sir," he said, his voice filled with defeat. The boy dragged his feet as he made his way slowly back to the rundown cabin then looked over his shoulder before climbing the steps and disappearing into the cabin. Once Sam was behind the closed door, John turned to his other two sons, the man clearing his throat to get the two teenagers attention when he saw that they were still watching the cabin door.

"Boys…he's fine. I need your minds on the training mission. Get your packs and get moving and remember…two hours," he said.

"Yes, sir," the boys said in unison before moving to the truck to remove their packs. Once they had everything they needed, they headed toward the trees, both boys thrumming with excitement at their first solo training mission.

* * *

Sam closed the door behind himself and dropped his chin to his chest. He took a deep breath then moved toward the woodpile and pulled several pieces of wood into his arms. He moved back across the room to the fireplace and dropped the armful of wood to the floor. He felt a sudden burning in his eyes and wiped at them with the back of his hand.

"Suck it up, ya big baby," he whispered to himself as he moved to the window and looked outside.

Sam bit at his bottom lip as he watched his older brothers walk toward the trees, the boy swallowing against the lump in his throat as the teenagers disappeared into the dark forest a few moments later. He felt a surge of fear ripple through him as he thought of his brothers out in the woods alone. He knew his father would not have set up an easy course for his brothers to follow, but then he also knew that the man would not put his sons in any undue danger either. Sam watched John stroll over to the smaller cabin where Caleb and Joshua were staying and disappear inside. He heaved a heavy sigh then got to work on the fire. A few minutes later the fire was roaring in the fireplace and the cabin was warming up nicely.

Sam watched the fire dancing behind the fire screen for a few minutes then turned toward the boxes that had been packed in from the truck. He gazed at the boxes, but turned away immediately as he didn't have much of an appetite anymore. His disappointment at being left out of the night training coupled with his worry for his brothers left him feeling a bit nauseous so he figured the best thing for him to do would be to turn in for the night. Even the thought of lying down and reading a few chapters of his book didn't appeal to him. Sam picked up his backpack and dug his sleep clothes out. After shedding his shirts and jeans, he pulled on his sleepwear then picked his sleeping bag up from the floor and spread it out on the floor near the fireplace.

Sam went to the boxes and found the water they had brought then retrieved his toothbrush and toothpaste from his pack. He went out onto the porch and brushed his teeth then rinsed his mouth and toothbrush with the water. He glanced at the area where his brothers had disappeared into the woods and sent up a silent prayer, asking whomever to keep them safe. He turned and re-entered the cabin then set his water, toothbrush and toothpaste on a small table near the fireplace. He climbed into his sleeping bag then reached for his jacket. He balled the jacket up to use as a pillow then rested his head upon it. He closed his eyes and willed his breathing to slow and within minutes, the boy was sound asleep.

* * *

John bid goodnight to his friends before stepping from their small cabin into the chilled mountain air. He glanced toward the woods and wondered how his sons were doing then turned his attention to the other cabin. He took a deep breath as he looked at the cabin. He really didn't want to face Sam yet. He understood why the boy was upset and hated that he had put the defeated look on his face, but he knew that Sam was not ready for night training yet. Daniel and Dean had been training for this and it was their first solo test. If Sam were there, they would be more focused on their baby brother than the training and that could lead to someone getting hurt. John sighed then began to walk toward the cabin. As much as he didn't want to see that look in his baby's eyes again, he knew he had to talk to Sam and try to make him understand why he had to stay behind.

John went up the steps and crossed the small porch then pushed open the door and stepped into the warm cabin. He fully expected to find Sam sitting on the rundown sofa and reading his book, but when he closed the door his attention was drawn to the fireplace and he smiled warmly at the image of his peacefully sleeping son. The cabin was illuminated only by the burning logs in the fireplace and the warm glow of the flames lit upon Sam's young face, making him look even younger than his twelve years. John stepped quietly across the room and knelt down next to his son. He reached down and tugged the sleeping bag up further around Sam's shoulders then brushed his fingers tenderly over the sleeping boy's cheek.

"I'm sorry, Sammy," John whispered as he continued to watch Sam sleep. "I know how much you want to be just like your brothers, but it scares me so badly sometimes."

John watched Sam for a few more minutes then pushed up from the floor. He walked to the boxes that had been placed along the opposite wall and found the one that held the two lanterns he had brought. He pulled one out and within moments had it lit. He carried it to the sofa and sunk down onto the musty smelling cushions. He'd give Daniel and Dean another half hour and then he would take the other path to the training course he had set up. He had faith that his boys would do well, but the father in him couldn't help but worry. He would just sneak out and check on them then return to the cabin before they got back. John settled back on the couch and crossed one leg over his knee. He appeared to be relaxed and calm, but inside he was a bundle of nerves. The only way he would be able to fully relax would be when he had all three of his sons back in the cabin and under his watchful eye.

* * *

Sam watched as his brothers got further and further up the path and away from him. He hurried as fast as he could, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep up with his taller, faster brothers. He called out to them to wait up for him, but the teenagers still pulled further ahead. Soon, Sam lost sight of his brothers altogether and a sudden rush of fear washed over him. He picked up his speed, his feet suddenly slipping on the rocky path and nearly bringing him to his knees. Sam righted himself and hurried ahead. He was at almost a full run when he stumbled out of the trees and into a small clearing. He pulled up to a stop when he saw his brothers standing near the edge of a drop off, the two teenagers peering over the edge and speaking quietly to one another.

Sam called out to his brothers, but a sudden rumbling drowned out his words before they had a chance to reach their ears. The earth began to tremble beneath his feet, the movement violent enough to knock him from his feet. His terrified eyes remained glued to his brothers as he attempted to regain his footing by grabbing hold of tree branches the hung close to him. Sam pulled himself up and started toward his brothers, the rocking of the earth making the going very difficult. Dean and Daniel turned toward their brother, each holding onto the other to keep from falling to the ground. Suddenly, a large crack sounded over the rumbling and the earth beneath the elder boy's feet gave way, sending both over the edge of the drop off and into the abyss below. Sam screamed out and rushed forward, the boy amazingly keeping on his feet. Just as he reached the spot where his brothers had been standing, the earth suddenly stopped shaking and the forest was plunged into an eerie silence.

"Dean! Danny!" Sam screamed as he dropped to his knees and crawled to the edge of the drop off.

He reached the edge and peered over the rim, his heart clenching in his chest when nothing but dirt and rock and mangled trees met his desperate eyes.

"Nonononono," he chanted as he dropped his legs over the edge and began to shimmy down the treacherous cliff.

Sam slowly made his way down the slope, his hazel eyes scanning the rubble in search of any sign of his brothers. All he saw was destruction. He stopped and gazed around helplessly as realization that the odds of his brothers surviving their fall was pretty much nil. He dropped to his knees, his hands falling limply to his sides as tears streamed down his dusty cheeks.

"No!" he cried softly, his eyes taking in the devastation with shock. Suddenly overcome with paralyzing grief, Sam could not stop the scream that tore from his raw throat.

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

* * *

**Oooooo...evil cliffie (no pun intended) right off the bat! I'm so bad! So, what do you think so far. Should I continue? Please let me know.**

**Cindy**

**A/N~~I just want to say that I had this story mapped out long before the devastating earthquake in Haiti. My thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Haiti and to all of the people affected by this terrible event. God bless you all.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey all. So sorry for the delay in posting, but I swear...there's a good reason for it. I've been feeling a bit under the weather and finally, the day before yesterday, after beginning to see black dots dancing in front of my eyes, I decided a trip to the doctor was probably necessary. Well, it seems my harmless cold has turned into pneumonia. Yep...sucks right out loud! I haven't had the energy to do much writing, but now that I'm on some pretty heavy duty drugs, I'm starting to feel a bit better. At least I can breathe and the black dots have taken a vacation! Seeings as how I can't do much of anything else, I thought it may be a good time to just sit down and use my sick days from work to write and finally have the next chapter ready for you! So...am I forgiven? I sure hope you like the chapter and it makes sense. Like I said...HEAVY DUTY DRUGS!!!!**

**Anyway...on with the story!**

**Cindy**

* * *

John trudged through the trees, a look of anger mixed with worry on his handsome face. He cast a quick glance to his right and took in his middle son's pain etched face. On the other side of Dean, Daniel too was looking at the injured teenager. He glanced up and met his father's dark eyes then quickly looked away. John shook his head and turned his eyes away from his sons. He tightened his grip around Dean's torso when the boy stumbled on the darkened path and took a deep breath when he felt Daniel tighten his hold too. The three hunters continued down the path in silence until John couldn't hold his tongue any longer. He found a downed tree and steered his sons off the path then along with Daniel, he eased Dean down upon the log. Daniel sat down next to his brother as he nervously watched his father pace, the elder hunters dark eyes glowing eerily in the moonlight each time he glanced over at his sons. Finally, John stopped pacing and turned to his sons. He bit at his lip as he stared down at the two scared teenagers then crossed his arms over his chest.

"So, I want you to tell me where exactly in my instructions did it say that it would be a good idea for you to climb a tree and then fall out of the tree!" the man snapped, his gaze shifting from one boy to the other before finally settling on his eldest.

Daniel swallowed as he stood to face his father, the boy looking over his shoulder at Dean's upturned face before once again turning to John. "Sir…I…we thought…um…we thought we could finish the test faster if we climbed the tree and scouted out the route from above," the boy said nervously. He glanced back at Dean and saw the pain on the younger teen's face and felt his stomach knot. He turned back to John and dropped his eyes. "It's my fault, Dad. I told Dean that we should climb the tree," he said softly.

"That's not true!" Dean suddenly shouted from where he sat on the downed tree. "Dad…he's lying! It was my idea!"

"Dean…shut up!" Daniel hissed through clenched teeth as he continued to watch his father.

"No, Danny! Stop lying!" Dean cried as he attempted to stand, but pain lanced through his side and he dropped back down onto the log with a short gasp.

John rushed forward and dropped to a crouch in front of his son. "Dean…" he started as he reached out and took the teenagers arm.

"I'm fine, Dad…I think I just bruised my ribs," Dean said as he wrapped his arm around his side.

John sat before his middle son for a few more moments then stood and began to pace again. He stopped finally and ran his hand over his face then up through his hair. "So, it seems each of you wants to take blame for your stupidity," he said as he turned to face his boys. "Fine. Once we get home, you're both grounded for a month. Straight to and from school. No hanging out with friends, no phone calls…nothing. You'll be running extra miles everyday after school," the angry man said evenly.

"Yes, sir," both boys said in unison.

John watched his boys for a few more moments then stepped forward and helped Dean to his feet. "Come on. I want to get a good look at those ribs then you boys need to eat and get to bed. We have a long day ahead of us and you're going to need your sleep," he said as he started down the path again.

The three finished their trek in silence and pushed through the trees into the clearing where their two cabins stood. They passed by Caleb and Joshua's cabin and were halfway to their own when a terrified scream cut through the night halting the hunters in their tracks. A second later they were running toward their cabin, Daniel all but dragging Dean along as the screaming continued. John burst through the door first, followed closely by Daniel and Dean. The man was already on his knees next to his youngest son and was pulling him up and shaking him when Daniel and Dean pulled up behind him.

"NOOOOOOO!!!" Sam screamed, his eyes flying open as John gave him a rough shake.

"Sammy! Wake up, son!" John cried as he turned Sam so he could fully see his face.

Sam stared at his father with wide, glassy eyes and for a moment, John thought the boy couldn't see him, but then Sam lunged forward and wrapped his arms around his fathers middle and held on for dear life. "We have to help them, Dad! We have to get them out!" he cried, his words muffled against John's chest.

John pushed Sam away and held him at arms length and looked into his terrified eyes. "Help who, Sammy? Get who out of where?" he asked softly.

Sam gazed up into his father's face and John could tell the boy was still somewhere else and not in his sleeping bag in front of the dying fire. "Dean and Danny…they…the earthquake, Dad. You felt it, right? They went over the edge…" the boy started, his voice rising as hysterics started to over take him.

Daniel moved around John and knelt down, easing his brother down with him. He reached out and took Sam's face in his hands then turned him until their eyes met. "Sammy…we're right here. Dean and I are right here. We're fine. It was just a dream," he said as he leaned in so that his face was the only thing Sam could see.

Daniel watched as Sam's pupils dilated and comprehension washed over his face. "Danny?" the boy queried, his trembling hands reaching up and grasping Daniel's wrists.

"Yeah…it's me, kiddo. Dean and I are fine. There was no earthquake," Daniel answered with a warm smile.

"Dean?" Sam said softly, his hazel widening hopefully.

"Right here, squirt," Dean said, the teen holding in a hiss as he reached for his baby brother.

Sam turned toward his brother's voice and smiled as he met the teens green eyes. "Dean…you…I…I thought you and Danny were…"

"We're not, Sammy. We're fine. You just had a bad dream, that's all," Dean interrupted, the teen unable to hold in a soft gasp when he moved closer to his little brother.

Sam pulled back and looked down, his eyes widening when he saw Dean holding his ribs protectively. "Dean? You're hurt," he said as he looked back up into his brother's eyes.

"Oh, its okay. I fell out of a tree," Dean said absently. "It's a long story," he added when Sam opened his mouth to speak.

"You okay now, Sam?" John asked as he drew his son's attention back to himself.

"I…uh…yeah. It just…it was so real," Sam answered, his voice still a little shaky.

John reached out and rested his hand on his baby's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Look, kiddo…I've had a few of those kinds of dreams myself. You swear it really happened, but it was just that…a dream. Your brothers are fine…we're all fine," he said comfortingly.

Sam gazed up at his father and nodded. "Okay, Dad. I'm okay," he said softly.

"Okay then, why don't you get back to sleep. I need to take a look at Dean's ribs then your brothers will be turning in too. They will be getting up extra early in the morning," John said with a smirk.

Sam looked at his brothers then shifted back down into his sleeping bag. He pulled the bag up high enough to where all that could be seen was his mop of unkempt brown hair. John and Daniel helped Dean up and that was when the three Winchesters noticed Caleb and Joshua standing just inside the doorway.

"Hey…didn't hear you two come in," Dean said as he was eased down onto the sofa.

Caleb shrugged his shoulders and glanced down at the mound that was Sam then looked back up at his friends. "Half pint okay?" he asked with a hint of concern.

"Yeah…just had a nightmare. Thought the boys were caught in an earthquake," John answered as he began his examination of his middle son.

"Huh. What about Ace there? What happened?" Caleb queried.

"Oh, the boys decided to change my instructions a bit and clumsy here fell out of a tree. Don't feel any cracks or breaks, so I think he got away with just some bruising," John answered before standing up and turning toward his friends.

"A tree huh? That's pretty talented, Dean," Joshua said with a chuckle.

"Shut up," Dean whispered as he leaned back against the sofa back.

John rustled around in one of the boxes for a few moments then made his way back to the sofa and his waiting son. He held a large first aid kit in his hand and set it down on the sofa before kneeling down on the floor in front of Dean.

"Shirts off," he instructed as he opened the first aid kit and pulled out a large roll of medical wrap.

Dean pulled off his button down then gingerly pulled his tee shirt over his head. He held his arms up while John tightly wrapped his ribs, the father not wanting to take any chances just in case. He finished with his ministrations then patted Dean on his knee. He stood and took the first aid kit back and placed it in the box then went to another box and pulled out a box of granola bars. He opened the box and tossed his sons two each then took one for himself. The boys were not too happy with their dinner, but both knew better than to argue with their father about it. As they began to eat, John moved over to the other two hunters to discuss the plans for the next day. Once Daniel and Dean were done eating, they pulled their sleeping bags out from the corner where they had stuck them and laid them out on either side of Sam. They climbed into their bags without a word, both knowing they would be awakened quite early to begin their punishment for straying from John's instructions. Both boys were asleep within minutes.

John finished finalizing plans for the next days training then bid his friends goodnight before closing the door behind them and making his way to the woodpile Sam had made earlier in the evening. He placed several more logs on the fire then moved over to the sofa and laid down. His dark eyes flitted over the room then came to a rest on his sleeping sons. He smiled and shook his head, not a bit surprised at how his two eldest sons had arranged themselves around the youngest in an obvious display of protectiveness. He watched his boys for a few moments longer then closed his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest and a few minutes later, he was asleep.

* * *

"Dad?"

John looked up from his journal and turned his dark eyes onto his youngest son. He closed the journal and set his pencil down next to it on the flimsy kitchen table. "Yes, Sam?" he queried as he took in the serious look on his baby's face.

"Uh…I…um…" Sam stammered, his feet shuffling on the dirty wooden floor.

"Sam…spit it out. We're moving out just as soon as your brothers get done doing the dishes down at the creek," John said impatiently.

"I…I don't think we should go on the hike today. I…"

"What? Why not?" John asked as he leaned forward in his chair.

"M-my dream…it wasn't the first one and…and I think something's gonna happen," Sam replied nervously, his large hazel eyes staring pleadingly into his father's dark ones.

John sighed and rubbed his hand over his scruffy face. "Sammy…it was just a dream. Nothing is going to happen," he answered, the man reaching out to place his hand on the young boy's shoulder.

"But, Dad…"

"Sam…it was just a dream. I know it scared you, but that's all it was. You and your brothers will be perfectly safe," John interrupted.

"Dad…I've had more than one dream about…about an earthquake. It's not even like they're dreams. I think…I…"

"What? You think they're premonitions? You think you're psychic?" John asked incredulously as he gazed at his son.

"No…its not that, Dad. They were just so real and I…"

"Sammy…I understand, okay? But kiddo…there's no reason to believe there's going to be an earthquake. As far as I know, there's no fault line anywhere close to here. You need to stop worrying and get ready to go," John said as he stood and gently squeezed Sam's shoulder.

"But, Dad…"

"No buts, Sam. Get your gear together. You wanted to be included in this training…now move," John said, his voice leaving no room for arguments.

"Yes, sir," Sam murmured as he turned and shuffled across the floor.

John shook his head as he watched his youngest. "Earthquake," he whispered under his breath as he began to fill his own pack.

* * *

Sam followed behind Dean, his legs moving as quickly as they could to keep up with his brother as the older boy hurried through the forest. He could hear Daniel behind him, the eldest sibling choosing to bring up the rear so that he could keep his eye on both of his little brothers and Sam felt comfort knowing that his brothers were there to watch over him. John had sent the three boys off on their own, giving them a map and instructions. He had given the two older boys strict instructions to not let Sam out of their sight for even a second, not that either boy needed to be told that. It was what they did. It was who they were. Take care of each other…take care of Sammy. Nothing else mattered. Not really. Not in their eyes.

The three brothers trekked through the woods, following John's map to the letter for sometime before Daniel called for the two younger boys to stop. Dean and Sam waited for their brother to catch up and watched as he knelt down and spread the map on the path at his feet.

"What's up, doc?" Dean queried as he stood over his brother and gazed down at the map.

Daniel looked up and shook his head. "See this?" he asked as he pointed at a circled area of the map.

Dean leaned down and squinted at the small dot on the map then looked at his brother questioningly. "Yeah…what about it?" he asked, the middle brother making room when Sam decided to take a look at the map himself.

"It's a cave," Sam said before gazing up at his brother.

"Okay…it's a cave. What about it?" Dean queried, his green eyes once more moving to the eldest sibling.

"Dad circled it. He must want us to check it out. It should be about a half mile up the trail," Daniel answered as he stood and brushed the dirt from his knees.

"Oh crap…I suppose we're gonna have to climb," Dean groused as he absently wrapped an arm across his still sore ribs.

"If you're hurting too much, you can wait for Sam and me," Daniel said sympathetically.

"No way, man. Dad'll have my a…my butt if I don't go with you," Dean shot, the boy pulling his arm away from his side and straightening.

"You sure you're okay, Dean?" Sam asked as he gazed up at his brother.

"I'm fine, squirt," Dean said as he ruffled Sam's hair playfully.

Sam shook his brother off and stepped away. "Sheesh, Dean…will you stop it? I'm not a little kid anymore," he cried indignantly.

"You look little to me," Dean said with a chuckle.

"Deeeaaan…"

"You two stop! Dean, stop teasing him," Daniel said, the eldest boy shaking his head as he started up the trail.

Sam followed behind Daniel, the boy turning and sticking out his tongue at Dean as he passed him on the path. Dean reached out and softly slugged Sam's arm before he too followed down the path. Twenty minutes later, the three boys came to a stop and looked up the incline that came into view as they pushed through the thick trees.

"That's it," Daniel said as his eyes surveyed the cave that opened up about 100 feet up the incline.

"Ah, that's not too bad," Dean said, his gaze already scoping out the best path to take up the hill.

"Uh…guys…do we really have to go up there?" Sam asked as he stared up at the cave nervously.

"Why, Sammy…you scared?" Dean asked, the teen giving the smaller boy a gentle nudge.

"No…yes…I don't know," Sam answered softly.

Daniel turned and kneeled down in front of his baby brother. He placed his hands on Sam's shoulders and smiled reassuringly. "Sam…is it your dream? Is that what you're afraid of?" he asked.

Sam swallowed as he looked up at the cave. "I just…what if there really is an earthquake? What if…"

"Sammy," Dean said as he moved into his brothers line of sight. "Don't worry. There isn't going to be an earthquake. We'll be fine. Besides…it doesn't even look that deep," he continued as he saw the fear still in his baby brother's eyes.

"I don't what I'd do…if you guys…if something happened to you," Sam whispered, his wide eyes gazing at first one brother then the other.

"Nothing is going to happen. Dad wouldn't send us up there if he didn't think it was perfectly safe," Daniel said as he gave Sam's shoulders another soft squeeze.

Sam bit at his lower lip then nodded at his brother. "Okay…okay," he said softly before slowly turning and making his way toward the incline.

Dean and Daniel looked at each other, a small amount of worry darkening their green eyes then they hurried after Sam and together the three brothers started the short climb up the rocky hill. Ten minutes later they pulled themselves onto the rocky ledge that stood just outside the opening of the cave. The three brothers reached into their packs and each pulled out a flashlight then together, they stepped into the cave.

* * *

John sat on a large rock that protruded from the earth and bit hungrily into the turkey sandwich that he had packed into his bag before leaving the cabin. Joshua and Caleb sat on the other side of the trail, the two hunters eating their own lunches and gazing at the eldest hunter.

"So, Johnny," Caleb said around a mouthful of roastbeef on rye. "You think the boys have found the cave yet?"

John swallowed as he set his sandwich down and looked at the watch around his wrist. He gazed around their surroundings then up at the clear, blue sky. "Yeah…they should be there by now I'd think…unless they've been doing more horsing around then scouting," he answered gruffly.

Joshua chuckled then finished off his sandwich. He reached into his pack and pulled out a bottle of water, twisted off the cap and took a long swallow. "How was Sammy this morning? Still freaked out about his dream?" he asked before taking another long drink.

"Yeah. He said he's had more than one dream about earthquakes. He really thinks there could be one coming," John said with a shake of his head.

"He's had more of these dreams?" Caleb asked, the youngest of the three straightening, his eyes staring at John intently.

"So he says," John answered, his dark eyes moving to his younger friend, his eyebrows furrowed. "You aren't actually giving his dreams credence are you, Caleb?"

"No…not really, but…"

"But what?" John interrupted.

"It's not unheard of, John. Sam could be…sensitive to such things. Who knows," Caleb answered.

"Sam isn't a psychic, Caleb, so just stop. They're just dreams…nothing more than his nerves getting the better of him," John snapped.

"John…" Caleb started, his words cut off by Joshua's harsh voice.

"Quiet! You hear that?" the large man asked as he stood from the log he and Caleb were sitting upon.

"Hear what?" John queried, his eyes narrowing as he suddenly heard a low rumble, from where he couldn't determine.

"What the hell is that?" Caleb asked as he too stood and cocked his head, the hairs on the back of his neck rising as he realized the normal sounds of the forest had suddenly stopped, leaving only the deep rumble that seemed to come from the ground itself.

"I don't…" John started, his dark eyes widening as the earth suddenly began to shake, ever so slightly at first, but gaining in intensity until the shaking was so violent it nearly threw him to the ground.

"Son of a bitch! Earthquake!" Joshua screamed above the deafening rumble, the tall hunter grabbing hold of a nearby tree to keep from falling to the earth.

John tried to move, but the violent shaking finally took him down and he hit the ground hard. "John!" Caleb shouted, his blue eyes meeting his friends wide, dark ones.

"My boys! We have to get to my boys!" John screamed, his face as white as a ghost as absolute terror washed over him.

* * *

**So...what did you think? You think the boys may be in some deep doo doo? It's me writing, so the odds are they may very well be in for some pretty big boo boos. Hey...doo doo and boo boos rhyme! Okay...forgive me...HEAVY DUTY DRUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**Cindy ;**)


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm back! So, as good as the heavy duty drugs have helped, this crap is not going down easy. Still hacking and coughing...trying to breathe! Thanks for all of your comments and kind words of concern. I'm doing as well as can be expected, but this long, cold Winter isn't helping. Anyway, enough about me. Lets get on to the story, shall we?**

**Cindy**

* * *

Sam glanced warily around the cave then moved his gaze back to his two brothers as they investigated the darkened areas of the small cavern. The young boy's stomach tightened with worry as the images from his nightmare played through his mind again. When he'd first found out about this training mission, he'd been so excited, but then the dreams had begun. At first, and right up until last night, he'd thought they were just that…dreams. But then, in his last nightmare, his brothers had perished, just like that. One second they'd been there trying to stay on their feet and the next second, they were gone. Sam could no longer convince himself that his dreams were just figments of his imagination. He couldn't shake the feeling that his dreams were more like premonitions of horrible events to come. The fact that the most terrifying dream had come on the eve of he and his brother's big day gave Sam even more reason to be worried.

"Hey…Sammy…you with us?" Dean called from across the cave, his voice echoing off the rocky walls, causing the younger boy to startle.

"Uh…yeah…I…" Sam stammered as he made his way toward his brothers.

"You're thinking about your dream again aren't you, kiddo?" Daniel queried, the eldest brother watching the boy with concern.

Sam dropped his eyes and bit at his lower lip before gazing back up into his brother's eyes. He remained silent, the boy afraid that he'd be teased by his brothers for still being scared. Daniel moved forward and reached out to cup the back of Sam's neck. He smiled warmly as he leaned down so he could see into the younger boy's eyes.

"It's okay, Sammy. I've been scared shi…silly by dreams before. When Dad's been on hunts and left us home, I'd have horrible dreams about things happening to him. It's normal," Daniel said as he gazed into Sam's wide, hazel eyes.

"I…I couldn't stop you guys from…from going over the edge and…and…"

"Hey…we're here. We're fine, Sammy," Dean said as he nudged his baby brother on his shoulder.

Sam gazed up at his brother and smiled. "I guess I'm being stupid, huh?" he said with an embarrassed shrug.

"No…you're not stupid, Sammy. Nothing stupid about worrying about your family," Daniel answered before reaching up to ruffle the boy's hair.

"Thanks, guys," Sam said softly as he gave his brothers a shy smile.

"Come on, lets see what else Dad set up for us," Dean said as he eased Sam around and fell in behind him as Daniel straightened and took the lead.

The boys headed deeper into the cave, the beams from their flashlights bouncing off the rock walls as they searched for and recorded in a notebook the small, subtle signs that John and the other hunters had left for them to find. This was a test that none of them intended to fail. They continued to search further into the cave until they came to the end of the line. They came up against a solid wall and decided to take a break before heading back to the front of the cave. They sat and talked for a few minutes before Daniel stood from the spot on the floor he had chosen to sit on and motioned for his brothers to follow. They started to move carefully toward the mouth of the cave when all of the sudden, Daniel halted and held up his hand. Sam and Dean stopped behind him and eyed him curiously.

"What, Danny? What's going on?" Dean asked as he instinctively grasped Sam's shoulders and pulled him closer.

Daniel looked over his shoulder and minutely shook his head. "Do you feel that?" he asked softly before reaching out and planting his hand on the cave wall.

"Feel what?" Sam queried as he too reached out to touch the rock wall. Sam frowned when he felt a steady vibration beneath his fingers and suddenly the boy's stomach dropped. "We…we have to get out of here," he whispered urgently as he grabbed Daniel's arm and began to tug him toward the front of the cave.

"Sammy…calm down. It's okay," Dean said, his green eyes meeting Daniels and seeing a minute amount of fear reflected back at him.

"No…no…we have to get out! We have to get out!" Sam cried, his voice rising as he tugged more urgently at Daniel's arm.

"Okay…we're go…" Daniel started, but his words were cut off as the rocks beneath his feet suddenly lurched without warning and nearly threw him to the ground.

"Oh God! It's happening…it's happening!" Sam screamed, the terrified boy's hazel eyes wide as he stared at his brothers.

Daniel grabbed both Dean and Sam and pushed them in front of him then continued to push them forward as the ground began to shake more violently. Small rocks and dirt began to rain down upon the brothers as they rushed ahead, their calls and yells drowned out by the deafening rumble that continued to grow. Daniel cried out as a large rock slammed into his shoulder then bounced away, but the teen didn't slow his pace as he pushed his younger brothers towards escape. Finally, the boys could see the faint glow of light that signaled they were close to the opening of the cave and they quickened their pace as much as the shaking ground allowed.

Daniel knew they only had two more bends in the narrow path until they came to the cavern and the mouth of the cave. His one and only thought was to get his brothers out of the cave and to the relative safety of the outdoors. The light grew brighter and he knew they were close, but suddenly, the ground gave a huge, violent jerk and instantly, the cave came down around the brothers and when the trembling finally ceased and the dust settled, silence reigned in the once wide open cave.

* * *

Awareness came slowly and along with that awareness came pain. Sharp, agonizing pain. Sam moaned as he peeled his eyelids open and tried to turn his head, but found he was unable to move more than a few inches as something was lying atop him. Something he couldn't see in the dusty darkness. Sam attempted to push what was atop him off by pressing his shoulder up, but a pained groan met his ringing ears and he immediately stopped when he realized that what lay upon him was warm and soft…and groaning. Sam let out a sharp cry when a sharp pain pierced his left side as he tried to turn to see who lay atop him. His first thought was broken ribs, but he pushed the thought aside. He had to free himself despite the pain so that he could check on his brothers.

Sam lay partly on his right side with his right arm pinned partially behind and beneath him. His face was flush with the dirt floor, his cheek pressing painfully into the rough ground. When he realized he wouldn't be able to free himself by trying to ease his top half out from under his brother, he next decided to free his legs then work himself free without hurting himself or his brother further. Sam winced as he worked to pull his feet free, then his lower legs. Slowly, but surely, he was able to free his legs then began the painstaking task of pulling the rest of his hurting body from beneath the still body above him. After what seemed like an eternity, Sam finally pulled the rest of his body free and collapsed in near exhaustion to the dirt floor.

Sam didn't allow himself much time to rest, the need to check on his brothers heavy on his mind. He wrapped his right arm around his left side, his right shoulder letting him know that it had not escaped injury then rolled to his knees. He dropped his body over his knees, his head hanging down as he took as deep of breaths as his ribs would allow before straightening and taking a look to his right. Daniel was sprawled on his stomach on the ground, his face covered with blood, his lower legs buried in fallen rocks. Sam reached out and placed a shaky hand on his back and sighed softly when he felt the gentle rise and fall of his brother's breathing.

Next, Sam moved his gaze a little to his left and found Dean unconscious, the middle brother lying on his side, his right arm raised up over his head, hiding his face. Sam rolled forward onto his knees again and carefully crawled the few feet to his brother. He coughed as dust clogged his lungs, the boy wincing as the movement jarred his injured ribs. When his coughing subsided, Sam eased behind Dean and reached out his free hand, his fingers finding the pulse point in the older boy's neck. He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt a strong pulse.

Sam looked up then glanced around, the boy glad that he had the light from at least two of their flashlights to illuminate his surroundings a bit. He sucked in a breath at the destruction he was able to make out, his hazel eyes particularly searching out a way of escaping the cave. His stomach dropped as all that met his eyes was rock, rock and more rock. He swallowed against the fear as he realized they were well and truly trapped. Sam sat for a moment, his eyes stinging as tears welled, but a soft moan from Dean was all it took to break through his fear. He leaned forward and softly tapped on Dean's cheek, his soft, hoarse voice urging his brother awake.

"Dean…wake up. Wake up…please," he pleaded, his fingers going from tapping to gently caressing his brother's cheek.

Dean groaned as he slowly rolled to his back, his green eyes flittering open and gazing dazedly up into his baby brother's face. "S'my?" Dean whispered hoarsely, his eyes slowly coming into focus.

"Yeah…Dean, are you okay? Where are you hurt?" Sam replied, his hands already beginning to move over his brother's body.

"Uh…m' back…knee. Head hurts," the middle brother answered weakly.

"Um…okay. Where on your back?" Sam asked worriedly as he placed a hand on Dean's shoulder.

Dean lifted his hand and placed it on Sam's knee and smiled up at his brother. "It's okay, Sammy….nothin' broken…just bruised I think," he said when he saw the fear in his baby brother's eyes.

"You sure?" Sam asked, the worry only lifting a tiny bit.

"'m sure. How's Danny?" Dean answered as he lifted his head slightly, his eyes searching the near darkness.

"Uh…he's unconscious. He's breathing…got a cut on his head," Sam answered as he turned to look over his shoulder at his eldest brother.

"Okay…help me up. Gotta check on him," Dean said as he tried to sit up, the teen hissing as the movement sent spikes of pain through his lower back.

"Just…don't move. I'll check him," Sam said as he gently pushed his hand against Dean's chest.

"Sammy…you hurt? You're bleeding," Dean asked, his green eyes scanning Sam's face with concern.

Sam reached up and touched his forehead, his fingers coming away coated with blood. "Huh…uh…I guess my head hurts a little, but I'm okay," he said before easing around and crawling to his eldest brother's side.

He fingered the blossoming bruise on Daniel's temple and winced at the deep gash that was still slowly oozing blood. Daniel moaned then mumbled something incoherent, but the teenager did not awaken at his brother's ministrations. Sam looked over at Dean who had somehow eased himself onto his side then up onto one elbow.

"He has a pretty good bump on his temple. He may have a concussion," Sam said worriedly as he turned his attention back onto his eldest brother.

"Uh…okay. Any other injuries that you can see?" Dean said, his eyes watching intently as Sam moved his hands over Daniel's body.

"I…I can't tell. His legs are buried in the rocks…they could be hurt. I don't know, Dean," Sam answered, his voice rising as he was on the verge of panic.

"It's okay, Sammy…calm down. Can you get the rocks off of him?" Dean called as he pushed himself up into a sitting position, the teen holding in a hiss as pain once more flared in his back.

"Uh…I think so…maybe. I'll try," Sam replied.

Sam moved down Daniel's body then began to pull the rocks from the unconscious teens legs. It took awhile, and Sam was sweating profusely, but finally he was able to free his brother's legs. He carefully felt down both legs and was relieved to find that while the legs were probably badly bruised, they didn't appear to have any breaks. Of course, that didn't mean there couldn't be injuries that Sam couldn't feel, but there were no bones protruding from the skin, so at least there wasn't infection to worry about.

"His legs feel okay, but I don't know for sure," Sam called to Dean.

"Okay. That's good. Uh…can we get out of here?" Dean called back, the teen taking several deep breaths to ease the pain in his back.

"I don't know. The opening looks completely blocked," Sam replied as he glanced over at his brother. "Uh…I can try to get a better look."

Sam began to push to his feet, but when he saw a slight shiver run through Daniel's prone body, he shrugged off his backpack then he gingerly pulled his jacket off and draped it over the teen's back. He reached out and retrieved one of the working flashlights and dusted off the lens before he pushed to his feet, the boy unable to hold in the hiss as his ribs complained.

"Sammy? You okay," Dean's worried voice sounded and Sam turned to look over his shoulder.

"I'm fine, Dean. Nothing to worry about," he answered before carefully making his way through the debris to where the opening of the cave had been.

Sam stopped at the large wall of fallen rock and shone his flashlight up before slowly sweeping it over the obstruction. His heart sank as it appeared they were absolutely stuck. He started to turn back toward his brothers when something caught his eye and he turned back around and lowered his flashlight.

"What is it, Sam?" Dean queried from his spot on the cave floor.

"I see light," Sam called back, his neck straining as he looked up toward the ceiling of the cave. "I…I think I can get up there and maybe move some rock. I can go for help," Sam said.

"No, Sammy…it's too dangerous," Dean protested, his voice tinged with worry.

"Dean…you're hurt and Danny's…he's out. You both need help. I'm the only one…" Sam started.

"I said no! We don't know what's out there…"

"Dean! We don't have time for this! I'm small enough! I can get through…I only need a little opening," Sam cried, his hand tightening around his side.

"Do you think I don't see how you're favoring your side, Sammy? You're hurt too!" Dean shouted.

"But I can walk!"

"Dad and the others will come, Sammy. We just have to wait!"

"We don't know that, Dean! They may not know we're here. I have to find them. Danny's hurt bad…I have to try…I have to try!"

"Sammy…"

"Dean…I'm not some helpless little kid. I can do this. I have to do this," Sam pleaded.

Dean stared at his brother, his stomach in knots at the thought of Sam out there…alone. His attention was drawn to Daniel when the older boy groaned and he knew at that moment that Sam was right. He, despite being only twelve years old and small for his age, was their only hope at the moment. He looked back up into the expectant eyes of his little brother and nodded.

"Fine…but if it looks too bad out there, you don't go any further. Deal?" Dean said haltingly.

Sam licked his dry lips and nodded. He headed back toward his brothers and knelt down between them. He grabbed his backpack and began to rummage through it. He pulled out the three bottles of water that he had and set them down next to a rock near Daniel's head.

"I've got three waters left and some granola bars in my pack," Sam started, the boy halting when Dean shook his head. "What?"

"No…you need the water, Sammy…and the food," Dean said.

"You and Danny need it more. I'll be fine," Sam replied.

"You ain't going without any water and food…period," Dean hissed.

Sam rolled his eyes, but nodded his agreement. "I'll take one water and one granola bar," he said softly.

"Sammy…"

"Dean, I'll be fine. Stop worrying," Sam interrupted.

"That'll never happen, kiddo," Dean said as he attempted to scoot his body toward Daniel, the teen hissing as the movement jarred his back.

"Dean…be careful. Let me help you," Sam said as he stood and moved to his brother's side.

"I…I just want to get next to Danny," Dean said tightly.

"Okay…I'll help you," Sam replied.

Sam moved behind Dean and grasped him under his shoulders. The effort hurt him more than he'd let his brother know, but together the brothers were able to ease Dean next to Daniel's side. A fine sheen of perspiration covered Dean's forehead and his face had paled considerably at the pain the move had caused him, but he kept his discomfort to himself as he watched his baby brother stuff one bottle of water and one granola bar down the front of his shirt. Sam moved his pack and the remaining bottles of water next to Dean then turned his attention to his eldest brother. He watched Daniel for a few moments then pushed to his feet. He looked down into Dean's upturned face and smiled slightly.

"Sammy…are you sure…"

"Yeah…I'm sure. I kinda feel like this is my fault. Like if I…"

"Whoa…wait a minute. How can this possibly be your fault?" Dean asked incredulously.

"If I had tried harder to convince Dad. If I had made him listen…we…we wouldn't be here," Sam cried softly.

"Sammy…no way. This is not your fault in any way. Just…just stop. You could've talked 'til your head exploded and Dad still would've brushed you off. You know Dad…cold, hard evidence," Dean said with a slight grin.

"Yeah…I guess you're right," Sam said softly.

"Damn straight I'm right," Dean answered.

Sam smiled then turned to look over his shoulder at the pile of rocks that blocked the entrance. He turned back and looked down at Dean. "Uh…I better get going. It's gonna take some time to move enough rocks to get through," he said sheepishly.

"Sammy…be careful," Dean said, his voice tinged with worry.

"I will be," Sam answered before moving carefully to the base of the rocks.

Sam leaned over and braced his hands on the rocks then began to climb to the top of the blockage. He slipped a few times, jarring his ribs and eliciting sharp cries of pain. He assured Dean that he was fine when his brother called out for him then continued until he reached the top. He tested several large rocks until he found one that was fairly loose. He pulled at the rock until it came loose and rolled loudly down the rock pile. Light from outdoors streamed through the small opening the rocks absence left and Sam sighed with relief when he realized that there was less space between he and the outdoors than he had thought. Sam ignored the pain in his side and continued to pull the rocks away until he felt he had a big enough opening to fit through. He looked over to where his brothers were, his hazel eyes meeting Dean's green ones then he smiled.

"Sam," Dean called, his eyes filled with worry and fear.

"I'll be okay, Dean…I promise. I'll bring Dad and the others back and we'll get you and Danny out of here," Sam replied, his voice shaking as his own fear threatened to overwhelm him.

Dean bit at his lower lip then nodded. "You got your knife?" he called, the teen steeling himself against the fear.

"Yeah…I got it," Sam replied.

"Okay…just…just be careful, Sammy…please…"

"I will…take care of Danny."

"You know I will. You better get moving…it'll be getting dark soon," Dean said.

"Okay…uh…bye. I…I love you," Sam called.

"Bye, Sammy."

Sam gave his brother one last glance then began to ease himself through the small opening he had created. Dean watched, his stomach clenching as Sam hissed in pain as he squeezed himself through the hole. The teen nearly burst out crying when Sam disappeared onto the other side of the cave opening, his fear climbing as he thought of Sam out in the forest alone and nearly defenseless, save for a small hunting knife. He reigned in his fears knowing it would do no good for any of them. Sam was trained by the best and Dean just had to have faith that the kid would find their dad with no problems. Dean turned his attention to his older brother knowing that the rest was out of his hands now. He felt weak and useless, but he knew Daniel needed him. If he couldn't help his younger brother, he'd damn sure make sure to help his older one.

* * *

**Well, there you go. I hope it was worth the wait. I will really try to get the posts up faster, but I really can't promise much. I'll do my best. Please let me know how you felt about this chapter. I really enjoy and look forward to reading all of the reviews. Take care all.**

**Cindy**


	4. Chapter 4

**Its update time! Woo hoo!! First of all, thanks for all of the wonderful comments. You guys are the best! Second, thanks for your words of concern for my health. I am much better now, just dealing with a nagging cough that doesn't want to go away. So, I won't bore you with anymore and will just let you get on with the story.**

**Cindy**

* * *

Dean watched as Sam disappeared through the hole that the twelve year old had dug in the rock barrier separating the siblings from the outside world and swallowed deeply as absolute panic suddenly washed over him. He tried to call out to his baby brother…tried to yell for him to come back, but he couldn't find his voice. He could barely breathe as the reality of the situation slammed into him. Sam was out there alone, completely vulnerable to the elements and whatever other dangers the earthquake had left in it's wake. He had let his brother go with hardly a fight and now all he could see was everything that could go wrong. He could see everything that could happen to the small boy and he was more terrified than he had ever been in his entire life. A soft groan beside him brought his attention to the other thing that had his heart beating at a frantic pace…his injured older brother.

Dean shook thoughts of Sam falling into bottomless crevices and being crushed by marauding boulders from his mind and turned his attention to the brother that he could help at the immediate moment. He scooted as best he could closer to Daniel's side, biting back the cries of pain that wanted to escape his lips, and rested his hand on his brother's back. He peered closely at what he could see of Daniel's face and watched for any sign that the older boy would awaken. He felt a sudden wave of loneliness wash over him and instantly wanted his brother awake. He gently patted Daniel's back and leaned over as far as his throbbing back allowed.

"Danny…hey, big brother…wake up," he coaxed as he continued to pat Daniel's back.

Daniel groaned again and even moved his limbs slightly, but then he stilled and to Dean's dismay, he remained unconscious. Dean straightened and watched his brother worriedly. The longer Daniel stayed out, the worse off he could be. There were concussions and internal injuries to worry about and Dean was nearly overcome with the enormous responsibility he found himself under. He felt an errant tear well in his eye and spill down his cheek. All the teen could think about was that he could very possibly watch his older brother die before help arrived and that he may very well never see his beloved baby brother again. He reached out and once again began to softly rub Daniel's back.

"Wake up, Danny…please wake up. I don't want to be alone," he pleaded softly as the tears continued to fall.

* * *

John, Caleb and Joshua hurried through the forest in the direction they thought the cave to be, the two younger men finding it hard to keep up with the adrenaline driven father. They'd been going for quite some time when suddenly John stopped and frantically looked around at the devastated landscape and brushed a shaky hand through his disheveled hair.

"Johnny? What's wrong?" Caleb queried as he stepped up beside his friend.

John turned frustrated and fearful eyes to his friend and let out a shaky breath. "I don't recognize anything. I…I don't know which way to go. Everything looks different now. My boys…I have to find my boys and I have no idea how to do that," he answered forlornly.

"Hey…John," Joshua said as he came up to John's other side. "We'll find them. We're going in the right direction. I'm sure of it."

John turned and surveyed the surrounding area and shook his head. "How do you know? The earthquake destroyed landmarks. The compass is broken. My boys could be hurt or…or…oh God…this is my fault! They could be d-dead and it's my fault!" he cried as he brought his hand up and brushed it over his face.

"How is this your fault? You can control mother nature?" Caleb queried, the younger man moving in front of his friend to make sure he would be seen.

John took a shaky breath and rolled his head back slightly before bringing his gaze back to his comrade. "I didn't listen to Sammy. He begged me to cancel the training and I ignored him. He dreamed this would happen and I just laughed it off."

Joshua grasped John's arm and pulled his friend around to meet his gaze. "John, how could you possibly know that Sam's dreams were premonitions and not just dreams? You had no way of knowing. It's not your fault," the tall man said.

"He was so sure that it was more than a dream. He tried so hard to make me listen to him and I…he's just a kid. Why would I listen to him?" John cried hoarsely. "God, Josh. He was so scared that his brothers were going to die…what if…what if…"

"Johnny, stop. The boys are going to be fine. We'll find them," Joshua said, his hand tightening around his friend's arm.

John glanced at his friend and nodded. "Yeah…yeah, you're right. Let's go," he said before he started to quickly make his way over the terrain in search of his missing sons.

Caleb and Joshua looked at each other before they hurried after their friend, both men praying that they would find the three boys, safe and in one piece.

* * *

Sam pulled through the small hole he had created and carefully began to climb down the other side of the rocky hill created by the earthquake. He looked up toward the hole as he eased down toward the ground, the young boy having a nearly overwhelming urge to climb back up and go to his brothers. He wasn't normally skittish, but being out in the woods by himself after what he'd just been through had him feeling less than brave at the moment. He shook his head and continued to climb down, determination to get his brothers help driving him to push the fear aside. He couldn't afford to breakdown. There was way too much at stake. He may be just twelve years old, but that wasn't going to stop him from finding his father and leading him and the others back to where his brothers were trapped.

Sam finally reached the bottom and collapsed to the ground. He wrapped his arm around his side, the pain slicing through him making it difficult for him to breath. He let his head drop to the ground as he waited for the pain to subside a bit. After a few minutes, he slowly sat up and took as deep a breath as he could before dragging himself to his feet. He had another hill to climb down before he could begin his search for help and his brothers needed him to get moving. He walked to the edge of the hill, peered over and took another deep breath. He dropped to his butt and started to scoot over the edge, the boy deciding that would be the quickest and safest way down the hill. He stopped several times to rest and let the pain in his side ease, but he finally made it to the bottom of the second hill.

Sam reached into his shirt and pulled out one of the bottles of water. He opened the bottle and took a small drink before recapping it and shoving back into his shirt. He glanced around, trying to decide which direction he should go. Without knowing exactly where his father and friends had gone, he had to figure out where the most likely place to start should be. Finally, he decided to head east. He had heard his father speaking to Caleb and Joshua about possibly skirting the small lake that lay five miles from their cabins and Sam knew that the lake was east of the path he and his brothers had taken to the cabin. With that being his only clue as to which direction to head, Sam wasted no more time and headed in the direction he believed the lake to be. The boy was unaware of the presence that followed him down the path, matching him stride for stride as it kept to the cover of the underbrush.

* * *

Dean awakened to throbbing pain in his back and immediately cursed himself for falling asleep. He straightened his body and hissed as the throbbing pain turned into stabbing pain. He squeezed his eyes shut and breathed through the pain, the teen relieved to at least feel some relief from the pain in his head. After a few minutes, the pain subsided and he was able to open his eyes without feeling like passing out. He immediately turned his attention to Daniel and sucked in a startled breath when he saw dazed green eyes staring back at him.

"Danny? Hey," he said as he reached out and gently patted the older boy's back.

Daniel blinked up at his brother and licked his dry lips. "y'k?"

Dean let out a relieved breath when he heard his brother's voice. "I've been better, but I'm fine," he answered as he inched closer to Daniel's side.

Daniel rolled his upper body slightly and stared up at his brother. His eyes seemed clearer, but Dean could clearly see the pain the eyes held. The elder brother rolled more onto his side and somehow pulled himself up to a halfway sitting position, amazing his younger brother with his strength and willpower. Dean reached over and helped Daniel ease back against the rock wall, both boys collapsing back and breathing hard at the strain the movement caused them. Daniel turned his head and Dean's stomach dropped as he knew what was coming next. Daniel turned back toward him, his green eyes wide as he stared over Dean's shoulder to the other side of the cave. His eyes soon met Dean's and the pain the younger brother had seen before was replaced with fear.

"Wh's S'my?" Daniel slurred, the older boy lifting a shaky hand and grasping Dean's arm.

Dean bit at his lip as he watched his brother's face fall. "Danny…"

"D'n…where's S'my?" Daniel asked, his voice tinged with desperation.

"He…he went for help," Dean finally answered, his heart pounding wildly in his chest.

"What!?" Daniel cried, the grogginess all but gone as the teen stared at his brother in shock.

"You were unconscious and I…my back…I…" Dean stammered helplessly.

"You let him go? Alone?" Daniel cried, his hand tightening around the younger boy's arm. "He's just a little kid, Dean!"

"I know…I know. Danny…he wouldn't listen. He said he needed to find Dad. There was an opening in the rocks and he…he said he had to find help. What could I do?" Dean cried in reply, his green eyes pleading with his brother to understand.

Daniel gazed at his brother and nearly cried at the devastation he saw in the younger boy's eyes. His heart broke for the burden that Dean carried with the decision he had to have made to allow their little brother to go for help alone. He squeezed Dean's arm and gave the younger boy a small smile.

"It's okay…he'll be okay…"

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry," Dean sobbed suddenly, tears spilling down his cheeks at his brother's forgiveness. "If anything happens to him…"

"Dean…you have nothing to be sorry for. Sam'll be fine…he was trained by the best," Daniel said comfortingly.

"But he's so little and…he was hurt, Danny," Dean said in reply.

"What? How bad?" Daniel said with sudden concern.

"Uh…his head was bleeding, but not bad. He was holding his side. Tried to make it so I couldn't see, but I could tell he was hurting," Dean answered.

"How was his eyes? Was he breathing okay?" Daniel asked hurriedly.

"I couldn't see his eyes…it was too dark, but his breathing sounded okay," Dean said.

Daniel turned his eyes away from his brother and leaned his throbbing head against the rock wall behind him. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. "Okay…his breathing was fine so he should be okay. He'll be okay," the teen said, sounding almost like he was trying to convince himself.

Dean gazed over at Daniel with concern. He knew his brother was hurting, more so than himself and he felt helpless to do anything about it. He had a first aid kit in his backpack with painkillers, but if Daniel was concussed, he couldn't chance giving him anything. The older boy would just have to tough it out until help arrived. Dean had to believe that they would be found soon, that Sam would find their father and lead he and the others to the cave. Dean was sure that John would already be searching for them, he just didn't know if the man would assume they had been in the cave when the earthquake hit. Dean knew that Sam would do everything in his power to find John, but he still had an uneasy feeling that his little brother was hurt worse than he let on.

Dean reached forward and grabbed the backpack that Sam had left and pulled a bottle of water out. He nudged Daniel's arm then opened the bottle and handed it to the older boy. Daniel smiled appreciatively before taking a drink of the cool water. He sighed as the liquid made its way down his parched throat then he handed the water back to Dean. Dean took a swallow then capped the water and placed it on the ground beside him. He glanced up at the hole that Sam had crawled through and bit at his lower lip. He tore his eyes away when he felt a soft nudge on his arm. He turned back to Daniel who was eyeing him with concern.

"Dean…you couldn't have stopped him. You know how stubborn the little dork can be. Gives Dad a run for his money," Daniel said, the teen knowing exactly what was going through his younger brother's head.

"If anything happens to him, Danny…I'll never forgive myself. I could have stopped him…"

"No, you couldn't have. With you and I hurt, there's no way Sam would have stayed if there was a way he could go for help. You know he's probably blaming himself anyway," Daniel said.

"Yeah…he is. Says he should have made Dad listen to him," Dean said in reply.

"See…no way you were going to stop him when he's blaming himself for what's happened," Daniel said.

Dean nodded his head before resting it back against the rock. Daniel did the same, the older boy letting his eyes fall shut for a moment as pain rocked through his head. He couldn't let Dean know how much pain he was in. He had to be strong, had to hold it together even though inside he was terrified for them both, but more so for his youngest brother. He couldn't protect Sam right now and it killed him to think of his baby brother out in the woods alone, carrying the responsibility of saving them on his young shoulders. Daniel looked up toward the ceiling of the cave and sent up a silent prayer to keep his baby brother safe. He rolled his head and glanced at his younger brother and smiled when Dean turned and looked at him.

"We're gonna get out of here aren't we?" Dean asked softly.

"Yeah…we're gonna get out of here," Daniel replied as he tilted his head and rested on his brother's shoulder.

* * *

Sam hurried on through the woods as fast as he tired legs and aching ribs would allow. He was desperate to get back to his brothers, but he couldn't do that until he found his father. He broke through a stand of trees and found another path that ran along the edge of a short drop off. He stopped at the edge of the drop off and gazed over to the bottom. It was a short, gentle slope, but Sam wasn't sure if his ribs could take another climb, no matter how short. He decided to follow the path a ways and hopefully it would curve east again. Sam had just started down the path when he sensed that he was not alone. He stopped and looked into the thick underbrush on the side of the path. He reached inside his jacket pocket and unsheathed his hunting knife the pulled it out in front of him.

Sam continued to watch the forest and listen for any sign that he was being stalked, but after a few minutes he began to think he had just been imagining things. He shook his head and started down the path again. Suddenly, a loud hissing growl sounded and before Sam had any time to think, a flash of fur sprang from the trees and slammed into his body, the momentum sending he and his attacker over the edge of the slope behind him. Sam screamed out in pain and fear as he tumbled head over heel down the hill, the animal hissing and spitting as it too was bounced against the rocks that protruded from the earth.

Sam came to a jarring halt as his body hit the bottom of the hill, the boy screaming out as his already injured ribs took the brunt of the landing. Dark spots danced before his eyes as he tried to move, but something heavy was keeping him firmly pressed to the ground. Sam started violently as he remembered his attacker and he blinked his eyes several times in an attempt to clear his vision. He opened his eyes and peered down at his torso. There, lying limp and apparently dead atop him, was a large mountain lion, Sam's hunting knife protruding from its bloodied neck. Sam swallowed against the pain and tried to push the animal away, but it outweighed him by at least thirty pounds and there was no way, in his weakened state he could move it.

Sam attempted to wriggle free from the animal, his muddled mind going back to just a short time ago to when he had to do the same thing to free himself from under his oldest brother. He was able to move a few inches, but sudden and excruciating pain tore through his side and Sam's vision darkened as wave after wave of agony washed over him. Sam fought to stay conscious, the boy knowing he couldn't let himself pass out if he was going to help his brothers, but his exhausted and injured body simply had other plans. Tears spilled down his cheeks as he began to lose his battle and his last conscious thought before darkness took him was of how he had failed his brothers for the second time that day.

* * *

**What's this? ANOTHER cliffy? My gosh, but I'm evil! I better get started on the next chapter huh? Can't leave our boys like this for very long. So, you all let me know what you think and I'll get started on finding our boys the help they need. Take care and love you all!**

**Cindy**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey! I'm back and it wasn't nearly two weeks this time! Are you all proud of me? lol Thanks for all the wonderful comments, I sooooo appreciate them. As always, you guys continue to blow me away with how you have embraced my stories and especially Danny. Thank you all so very much. Anyway, I'll let you get onto the story. Its shorter than the other chapters, but a lot happens. Hope you enjoy.**

**Cindy**

* * *

John stopped and scanned his surroundings, frustration showing plainly on his face. The landscape had changed so much that it was nearly impossible to get his bearings straight. He realized that his emotions were playing a role in his inability to find his sons and he tried as hard as he could to rein them in. He had to keep a level head and trust his instincts and so far he had been going on panic and adrenaline. He glanced over to see Caleb gazing around with the same level of frustration. He pulled his cell phone from his jeans and flipped it open. He held it up and panned it around before slamming it shut again and stuffing it in his pocket.

"Damnit!" he shouted as he raised his hands and brushed them through his disheveled hair.

"John," Joshua said as he stepped up to his friend's side. "You need to calm down, man."

John turned incredulous eyes to the man and huffed as he pushed past him. He spun around and turned on his friend, his eyes sparking with anger. "Calm down!? You want me to calm down! Do you not understand the situation here, Josh? My sons are out there…somewhere! They could be hurt! They could be dead!" he screamed, his entire body trembling as his emotions boiled over.

Joshua took a step back and held his hands up in a placating manner. He stared at his friend, his heart going out the man. "Johnny, you know how much I care about those kids. I understand the situation, but I'll say it again. You have to calm down. You're not helping yourself or your boys," he said consolingly.

John gazed at his friend then dropped his gaze to the ground. "God…what are we going to do?" he cried despondently as he lifted his eyes to Joshua's face again.

"We keep looking for that cave, that's what we do," Joshua answered as he grasped John's arm.

"Yeah, Johnny…we keep looking until we find the squirts," Caleb said as he stepped up to the other men.

John glanced between his friends and nodded. "Yeah…okay…we keep looking," he said, his eyes moving past his friends to gaze out over the surrounding forest.

The three men started down the trail they'd been following when suddenly, the ground began to shake violently, surprising the hunters and knocking them off their feet. The rumbling was deafening as the men attempted to stand.

"What the hell is going on!?" Caleb hollered over the rumble.

"Aftershock!" John shouted, the eldest hunter finally making it to his feet only to be thrown into a nearby tree.

"John!" Joshua yelled as he managed to get onto his hands and knees.

"I'm okay!" John yelled back. He held onto the tree and waited for the shaking to stop. Finally, after what seemed forever, the trembling slowed then stopped altogether. Joshua and Caleb climbed to their feet and made their way to John, who was holding his shoulder as he stumbled away from the tree.

"You okay, Johnny?" Caleb asked as he eyed his friend worriedly.

"I'm fine," he answered. "We've got to go!"

John stumbled down the path, his movements even more panicked than before. Caleb and Joshua glanced at each other then hurried after their friend. They didn't say anything, but they were both thinking the same thing. If the three Winchester brothers hadn't been hurt before, they very well could be now, and if they were hurt before, they could be hurt even worse.

* * *

Dean awoke to a heavy weight on his shoulder. He cursed himself for falling asleep as he turned his head and found the weight to be his brother's head. Daniel was out for the count and Dean felt a wave of panic wash over him. He turned as much as he could then lifted his hand to Daniel's upturned face and gave it a gentle pat.

"Danny…hey…wake up," he urged as he continued to pat his brother's face.

Daniel's face scrunched up as he tried to turn away from the intrusion, but Dean cupped his cheek and kept him from turning his head. Finally, groggy eyes flitted open and gazed up into Dean's concerned ones. "D'n?" he slurred in confusion as he lifted his head from his brother's shoulder.

"Yeah…hey, you okay?" Dean asked as he watched his brother squeeze his eyes shut.

"Uh…yeah…head hurts," Daniel answered, the teen lifted his hand up to rub at his forehead.

Dean gazed at Daniel, worry marring his young face. "Danny…"

"It's 'k, Dean…just a headache," Daniel interrupted as he dropped his hand to his lap.

"Yeah, right…just a headache," Dean whispered, the teen leaning his head back to rest against the cave wall.

"Dean…I…I prob'ly have a concussion, but…not much we can do right now," Daniel slurred as he lowered his head to Dean's shoulder again.

Dean closed his eyes against the tears that were threatening then took a deep breath. Daniel was right. There was nothing either of them could do at the moment. They were trapped until someone found them. Dean's thoughts wandered to Sam and he couldn't stop the errant tear that managed to slip past his eyelids to trail lazily down his cheek.

"Hey, Danny?" he queried softly.

Daniel opened his eyes and glanced up at his brother. "Yeah?" he replied.

"Do you think Sammy's found Dad yet?"

Daniel lifted his head before leaning it back against the wall, just as Dean had his moments before. "I don' know. Kid's stubborn…won't give up 'til he does," he answered.

"Yeah…he's a good kid," Dean whispered. "He's a great kid."

"Yeah…he is," Daniel whispered in reply.

Dean rolled his head and glanced over at his brother. Daniel felt his throat tighten at the fear and worry he read in his brother's eyes. He reached out and laid his hand on Dean's knee and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "He's okay, Dean," he said softly.

Dean bit at his lower lip and felt his eyes fill again. This time he didn't try to stop the tears. "I'm so scared, Danny. What if…"

"Hey…don't do that. He's fine. He's gonna find Dad and they're gonna find us and then everything will be okay again. You hear me, Dean?" Daniel said, his eyes staring intently at his brother's face.

"I he…" Dean started, but was cut off as a loud rumbling started, followed by a quick, violent shake of the ground beneath them.

The brother's eyes widened in shock, but the shock soon turned to terror as the earth started to shake harder and rocks began to fall down from the already weakened cave ceiling.

"Dean!" Daniel screamed as he pitched his body toward his brother, ignoring the agony that ripped through his skull. He swung his arms over Dean and pulled the younger teen closer to him then leaned over and covered him with his upper body.

Dean reached up and cupped the back of Daniel's head with both hands, hoping to protect him as best he could as the earth continued to rock. He'd learned about earthquakes and aftershocks, but had silently hoped they'd get lucky and not have to worry about anymore temblors, but of course he should have known with Winchester luck that wouldn't happen. The brother's held on to each other, protecting each other as best they could. Suddenly, Dean screamed out as if in agonizing pain, his hands tightening painfully around Daniel's head.

"Dean! What's wrong!?" Daniel shouted, trying to be heard over the rumbling.

"Oh, God! Oh, God, Danny…it hurts!" Dean screamed out and Daniel felt such panic course through him he found it hard to breathe.

As suddenly as the shaking started, it stopped, but the boys continued to hold each other for several moments as more rocks rained down upon them. Finally, they pulled apart, Daniel's eyes immediately taking stock of his younger brother as the teen sucked in quick, panicked breaths. Daniel gasped as he saw what was causing his brother's distress, his heart sinking as he realized there was no way he could help Dean. Dean's lower right leg was pinned beneath a large rock and Daniel didn't have to be a doctor to know that the bone had snapped. The angle at which the leg lay left no doubt that it was broken. Daniel looked up into his brother's pain filled face and swallowed hard against his own panic as he saw tear tracks in the dirt on Dean's face. He reached up and cupped the younger teen's cheek, his thumb tenderly brushing a tear away.

"Hey…it's not so bad, little brother. Dad'll be here soon and he'll get you out of here. It's not that bad," he said, but his heart racing in his chest contradicted the calm he tried to show for his brother.

"It…it hr'ts…so bad," Dean gasped, his green eyes finally opening to stare pleadingly into his brothers.

"I know it does…God, Dean…I know, but it'll be okay…I promise," Daniel cried softly as he continued to cup Dean's face.

Dean nodded as he squeezed his eyes closed once more. Suddenly, his eyes shot open and he reached up to painfully grab Daniel's arm. "Danny! Oh god! Oh god!" he cried as more tears streaked down his dirty face.

"What, Dean!? What's wrong!?" Daniel replied in near panic.

"Sammy…" Dean said softly, and suddenly Daniel knew terror like he'd never known it before.

* * *

Sam jolted awake, his mind screaming at him to move, but his body unable to do what his brain demanded. He was shaking violently and it took a few moments for the boy to realize that it wasn't he who was shaking, but the ground beneath him. Sudden terror filled his heart as his mind immediately went to his brothers who were still trapped in the cave. He tried to sit up, but something was holding him down. He looked down and cried out as he saw the dead mountain lion lying atop him. He reached down with both hands and desperately tried to push the animal from him, but agonizing pain ripped through him and he realized that the tumble down the hill had most likely caused more damage to his ribs. He cried out as wave after wave of pain washed over him, threatening to drown him as he lay trapped beneath the cougar.

The ground continued to shake and suddenly, Sam heard a large cracking sound then the earth under his lower legs dropped away. The mountain lion began to slip away too, it's body sliding down over Sam's legs before dropping to the rocky ground below. Sam began to panic as visions of his own body falling into the newly made crevice played through his mind. He looked around in near panic, trying to find anything that he could hold onto to keep from going over the edge, but there was nothing within reach. Suddenly, the ground stopped shaking, just a few weak shudders following until all went still and silent again.

Sam dropped his head to the ground and took as deep a breath as his ribs would allow. He draped an arm over his face as he was overtaken with emotions. He sobbed for several minutes until he was finally able to get himself together. His brothers didn't have time for him to be crying. They could be hurt worse now. It was more urgent then ever to find his father and get him to his brothers. He rolled over onto his side and gasped as a new agony made itself known. He pushed to his knees and reached around his shoulder, hissing as the pressure from his fingers sent daggers of white hot pain down his back. He pulled his hand away and saw that his fingers were coated with blood. He'd felt rips in his clothing and suddenly realized that the mountain lion must have clawed him sometime during its attack.

Sam breathed through the pain then when it had finally dulled to a manageable ache, he staggered to his feet and slowly turned around. He realized immediately that he wouldn't be going in that direction as the crack the aftershock had made was too wide and deep for him to navigate. That meant there was only one way left to go and that was right back up to where he'd been before he had taken his header down the hill. He blew out an exhausted breath then began the arduous and painful trek back up the hill. Finally, after several slips and near falls, Sam made it to the top. He stumbled to a downed tree and sat heavily upon its trunk, the boy sucking in painful breaths as he rode out the pain tearing through his damaged body. After a few minutes, he stood on shaky legs and began to walk in the same direction he had been heading before, his gait more desperate now than it had been then.

Sam continued to walk in the direction he thought the lake to be in, the boy stopping every now and then to yell out for his father and friends. He listened for any answering calls, but the forest and surrounding hills remained eerily silent. As he walked on, the blue sky began to fade as the afternoon slowly gave way to early evening. Sam began to lose hope of ever finding his father and new tears began to fall from his hazel eyes. He couldn't give up. He wouldn't give up…not until his brothers were saved. He walked on and came through a dense stand of trees and nearly collapsed at the sight he saw before him. Down the hill some five hundred yards or so below him was his father, Caleb and Joshua. There was one small problem though. They were headed in the opposite direction. Somehow, they had gotten turned around and were heading back towards the cabins instead of towards the cave.

Sam stumbled forward and screamed with all the might his battered body allowed. He screamed over and over until finally, when his father turned and looked up the hill, their eyes meeting and locking onto each other, Sam sank to the ground onto his knees and began to pray his thanks to whomever was listening for helping him to find the right path to the ones who could save his brothers. He nearly passed out with relief when he felt two strong hands grip his shoulders before one of those hands rose to cup his cheek. He gazed up into tired, relieved dark eyes and he smiled.

"Daddy," he whispered with relief as he collapsed into his father's arms and darkness took him once again.

* * *

**Awww, sweet little Sammy. He's finally found his dad, but how long before he wakes up and will he be in any shape to lead him to his brothers? And what about Dean and Danny. Dean's hurt worse and Danny isn't well either. So much more to come, I hope you'll all continue to stick with me. Loves~~~**

**Cindy**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey! I'm back! Thanks for all the wonderful comments. I was able to respond to most of them, but then I had some trouble with ff and couldn't reply to the others, so to those I didn't personally respond to...thank you so much! Your comments mean the world to me! So...on with the story.**

**Cindy**

* * *

John pulled Sam gently to his chest, careful of any injuries the boy might have. He glanced up at Caleb, his dark eyes conveying just how terrified he was.

"He hasn't called me daddy since he was six," John whispered as he turned his eyes back to his baby boy's face.

John carefully lowered Sam to the ground, glancing up only for a moment as Caleb kneeled down on the other side of the unconscious boy. He pulled his hand from beneath his son and sucked in a startled breath when he saw blood.

"What the hell?" he cried softly, his eyes glancing up into Caleb's concerned eyes before dropping once more to his youngest son.

John took Sam by the shoulder and gently rolled him to his side so he could get a look at his back. Caleb leaned over the boy when he saw John's eyes widen, and gasped when he saw the shredded, saturated jacket. He looked up at John and sat back on his heels then immediately pulled his pack from his back and dug through it for his first aid kit. By the time he had the first aid kit free, John had Sam's jacket off and was already tearing through his shirts to get a better look at the wound beneath. Caleb stood and moved around Sam then knelt back down next to his friend. He shook his head as he gazed at the angry gashes in Sam's thin back.

"What did that, Johnny?" Caleb asked as he opened the first aid kit and pulled out a sterile antiseptic cleaning pad. He handed the pad to John and watched as the man ripped open the packaging and pulled the pad out.

John glanced over at his friend and shook his head. "I don't know. Could be anything. The quake would have the wildlife completely freaked out," he answered as he began to clean Sam's wound.

"I didn't see Danny or Dean," Joshua's voice sounded as the tall man ran up to his friends and dropped to his knees across from the other two hunters, his dark eyes moving to Sam's lax face. "How's the squirt doing?"

John looked up and frowned. "I don't know…I…he…I don't know," he answered shakily.

Caleb reached out and grasped John's arm and smiled when tired, dark eyes turned to look at him. "He'll be fine, Johnny. They all will be."

John looked back at Sam and continued to clean his wound. "We don't know that. Where are Danny and Dean? Why is Sammy out here alone? They wouldn't leave him…not if they had a choice," the distraught hunter cried.

"John…we don't know anything yet. When Sammy comes to, he'll tell us where they are," Joshua said.

John glanced at both his friends then nodded. He finished cleaning Sam's wound then began to prepare a bandage. Suddenly, Sam let out a soft moan and all attention was on the small boy as his eyes fluttered open. When Sam found himself on the ground, on his side, he immediately began to struggle against the hands that held him, his exhausted, muddled mind forgetting whose arms he'd fallen into.

"Sammy…easy…it's Dad," John said as he firmly, yet gently held Sam still.

"D'd?" Sam murmured, the boy attempting to turn onto his back, but hissing as the movement caused pain to rip through his side, taking his breath away.

"Don't move, Sam. I'm fixing up your back then I need to check you over," John said.

"N-no…no…gotta get to D'n 'n D'ny," Sam slurred as he turned his head enough to stare up into his father's concerned eyes.

"We'll find them, Sammy, but right now I need to make sure that you're okay," John said as he taped the bandage into place.

"No…no time," Sam said, the boy struggling again to roll over.

"What do you mean?" Joshua queried as he leant over to better to see Sam's face.

"They're hurt…cave in," Sam answered a bit more clearly.

John gently eased Sam up then wrapped an arm carefully around him. He placed his fingers beneath Sam's chin and pulled the boys head up to meet his eyes. "You weren't in the cave with them?" he asked, his dark eyes trailing to the dried blood on the side of Sam's face.

"Yeah…I…the cave came down on us. I-I moved some rocks 'n crawled out. Had to find you," Sam answered softly.

"Sammy…what attacked you?" Caleb asked as he moved in front of John and the boy.

"Mountain lion…I killed it," Sam answered. "We gotta go," he continued.

"Not until I check you out," John said, his dark eyes glancing at the surprised looks on his friend's faces as he smiled proudly.

"'m fine, Dad," Sam said as he pushed away from his father's chest, the boy holding in the cry of pain the movement caused.

"Sammy…"

"Dad…Dean and Danny are hurt. I'm fine…we've got to get to them," Sam interrupted.

"Well…that's where we were headed, kiddo," Caleb announced as he gave Sam's hair a quick ruffle.

Sam looked over at Caleb and cocked his head. "You were going in the wrong direction," he said softly.

Caleb sat back on his heels and glanced up at John. John craned his neck so he could see his son's face. "Sammy?"

Sam looked up at his dad, reached out his arm and pointed in the direction he had just come from. "They're that way," he said then he slowly pushed to his feet, his hand immediately going to his side before he could think better of it.

"Sam…are you okay? Let me see," John said with alarm.

"No, Dad…'s okay. Just a little bruised," Sam said.

"Sammy, I need to make sure you're okay," John said sternly.

"There's no time, Dad. Danny…he…he's…"

"He's what? Is he okay?" John interrupted, his stomach clenching at Sam's hesitance.

Sam gazed up into his father's face and shook his head. "He was out…he's hurt bad. I'm bruised up, but I'm fine. Danny and Dean are hurt bad."

John watched Sam for a few moments then nodded his head. "Okay. But if you need to rest, we rest…got it?" he said.

"Yeah…okay," Sam replied before turning and walking away down the path. He turned to look over his shoulder to make sure the others were following, and when he saw that they were, he turned back toward the path and allowed the pain that was coursing through his body to show on his face where nobody could see it.

* * *

"D'n…w'k up," Daniel coaxed as he gently nudged his sleeping brother's shoulder, the eldest brother barely able to keep his own eyes open.

Dean groaned, but the teen did not awaken. Daniel squeezed his eyes shut as a wave of dizziness washed over him then opened them again once the dizziness eased. He reached up and placed the back of his hand against Dean's forehead and frowned at the heat he felt there. Dean groaned again and rolled his head toward his brother. Hazy green eyes cracked open as the younger boy gave a weak smile. "Hey," he whispered as he leaned into his brother's touch.

"Hey," Daniel answered before pulling his hand away. "How're you feeling?"

Dean licked his dry lips and sighed. "'m okay," he answered weakly.

Daniel looked his brother in the eye and shook his head. "Liar," he said then reached for the water bottle that sat between he and his brother.

Daniel opened the water bottle and handed it to Dean, who took it and took a few sips. He held the bottle out to his brother, but Daniel refused to take it. "You need to drink too, Danny," he said.

"Ya got a f'vr," Daniel slurred as he reached up and pushed the bottle back toward his brother. "Drink."

Dean eyed Daniel worriedly then lifted the bottle to his lips and drank some more. He set the bottle back on the ground next to him and watched as Daniel tried to recap it. His brow creased when he saw how much trouble his brother had before he was finally able to get the cap screwed on. Dean looked up at Daniel's face and noticed how pale the older boy was.

"Danny? You okay?" he asked with concern.

Daniel looked up and blinked his eyes several times before answering. "'m dizzy. Don't feel so good," he said before his head dropped forward and his body listed to the side until he was leaning heavily against Dean's shoulder.

"Danny! Danny…wake up," Dean cried as he turned toward his brother.

Dean tried to rouse his brother and when Daniel remained completely unconscious, he began to panic. He twisted his body further toward his brother and screamed out as agonizing pain ripped up his leg from his ankle and threatened to take him under too. He leaned back against the cool rock wall behind him and took several deep breaths.

"Ah..gah!" Dean gasped as the pain continued to pulse through him, building in an unbearable crescendo until he could take it no longer and he joined his brother in the dark abyss of unconsciousness.

* * *

Sam continued through the forest, the quest to get his brothers the help they needed driving him on despite the pain he was in. He did everything he could to keep his father and the others in the dark about his injuries. The less they knew the better. Dean and Daniel couldn't afford for him to take center stage right now. Their injuries were far more severe than his, at least that's what he kept telling himself. The pain in his side was bruised ribs, nothing more. The shortness of breath was just the dust he'd breathed in. Sam could hear his father's voice calling to him that they should take a break, but he refused to stop. He'd rest when Dean and Daniel were safe.

John followed his son, worry for the boy continuing to grow with each step. Sam was hurt worse than he was letting on, that much was apparent. John could see the way Sam held his side. He could see the pain the boy tried to hide. If he were any kind of a father, he'd make Sam stop and he'd scoop him up into his arms and take him back to the cabin, but Sam knew the way to the cave. He'd navigated through the changed landscape to find them and now he was the only one who was able to get them to Dean and Daniel in a relatively short amount of time. So, John had to take a chance with Sam's health to save his other two sons. It was not a situation he'd ever hoped to be in, yet here he was and he had nobody to blame but himself. If he'd just listened to Sam, none of this would be happening. John saw Sam stumble and yelled out for the boy to stop, but Sam kept going. John shook his head and picked up his pace until he reached up with his son.

"Sam…I said stop," he commanded.

Sam looked up at his father, but kept going. "Its not much further…we're almost there," he cried breathlessly.

"Sammy…"

"Dad! We have to get to them…we have to!" Sam pleaded, the boy never slowing down.

"You're hurt and…"

"Johnny! It's there!" Caleb shouted suddenly and John whipped his head around to see his friend standing some ways up the path and pointing to his right.

John rushed down the path and joined Caleb and Joshua, his eyes immediately following the direction Caleb was pointing. There, off in the distance, was the cave, it's entrance nearly completely blocked off by fallen rocks. He looked down when Sam came up behind him and smiled down at the small boy.

"See…I…I told you it was close," Sam panted before he hurried off down the path toward the cave, the older three hunters following close behind.

It took nearly fifteen minutes to navigate around downed trees and disturbed earth, but finally the hunters arrived at the cave and immediately began to climb up toward the entrance. John tried to get Sam to stay at the bottom, but the boy would have nothing of it. They reached the cave and John immediately began to climb up the rocks that blocked the entrance. Sam began to climb, but Joshua grabbed his arm and pulled him back explaining how the extra weight could make the rocks shift. Sam gazed up and watched as John came to the hole he had created. John stuck his head into the hole and called for his sons then waited and called again.

Sam shifted on his feet as he watched his father, his stomach clenching as John continued to call for Dean and Daniel. His fear grew when John pulled his head out of the hole and reached into his pack and pulled out his flashlight. John stuck the flashlight through the hole then stuck his head in again. He yelled again and again, but none of them heard any kind of response. Finally, John pulled out again and turned to look down at the expectant faces of his son and friends.

"They aren't responding! We have to get help up here…there's no way we can get them out by ourselves," he called down, his voice filled with desperation.

"I'll try to find a signal!" Joshua called up before turning and pulling out his cell phone. He held the phone up and turned in circles, his dark eyes gazing up at the display. Suddenly, his face lit up with a relieved smile and he quickly dialed 911. After talking for several minutes, he ended the call and called up to John. "They're sending help! They'll be here as soon as they can!"

"Thank God," John murmured before turning back toward the opening. He began to pull rocks away from the hole and soon had it open enough to crawl through. Without a look back, he crawled through the hole, his only thought now to get to his sons.

Sam stood at the bottom of the blockage and gazed up at the hole. He wanted to be in there, with his family, but he knew Caleb and Joshua wouldn't allow it and to be honest, he didn't think his ribs would either. He resigned himself to stand down below and wait. When his legs began to shake he found a large boulder and sat down. He gazed up at the darkening sky and closed his eyes. His heart beat furiously in his chest as he thought about his brothers. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had failed. They hadn't answered back and Sam was terrified that they were dead or dying. Tears began to flow and Sam reached up to absently brush them away. He opened his eyes and gazed skyward then he softly began to pray.

"God, please…please don't let my brothers die. If…if you have to take somebody…take me. Please, please…take me."

* * *

**So, things don't look good for the two older brothers. Hope they get help in time. Please let me know what you think. Love you all.**

**Cindy**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone! I apologize for the wait. I would have had this posted yesterday, but my oldest son was hurt in a rugby game and ended up with a concussion. I was just sitting down to finish up the final touches when we received the phone call. The game was out of town and we were unable to go, but his friend's parents took him to the hospital while we drove there. He's home and fine now, just needs to see his doctor later this week to make sure everything is okay. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter. Oh...thank you all so much for the wonderful comments, they really do make my day! Love to you all.**

**Cindy**

* * *

John scrambled down the rock pile, his flashlight flitting over the interior of the cave until its beam fell upon the still forms of his two eldest sons. He couldn't get down the rock pile fast enough and once he was at the bottom he all but ran to his son's sides, the man jumping over any obstacle in his way. Daniel was nearest to the entrance so he was the one who John knelt down next to, the father immediately reaching out to feel for a pulse. John nearly collapsed with relief when he felt a weak, but steady pulse beneath his fingers. He leaned over his eldest son and felt for Dean's pulse, more relief washing through him when he discovered that Dean had a strong pulse. He panned his flashlight beam over the boys and sucked in a shocked breath when he saw the large rock crushing his middle son's lower leg.

"Oh god," he whispered as he crawled around to look more closely at Dean's leg.

John tried to move the rock, but when the movement caused his son to groan in pain, he stopped. He moved up to Dean's side and tapped lightly on his cheek. "Dean…its time to wake up, kiddo. Come on, Dean…wake up," he coaxed.

Finally, John was rewarded when Dean's green eyes cracked open and gazed up at him. "Wh…uh…what?" Dean slurred, his eyes squinting against the darkness inside the cave.

John moved his flashlight so it illuminated his face better and smiled when he saw recognition in Dean's eyes. "Hey, kiddo," he said softly.

"D'd? How…I…" Dean stammered, the teen clearly confused.

"It's going to be okay, Dean. Helps on the way," John said as he placed his hand on his son's shoulder.

"D'ny…he 'k?" Dean asked as he rolled his head to look at his brother.

John looked over at his eldest then stood and moved over to his side. He gently lifted Daniel's head, his fingers brushing over a large lump just behind his left ear. He leaned the teen's head back and rested it against the rock wall then took his flashlight and shone it on his lax face. John lifted one eyelid then the next and was alarmed when the pupils did not respond as they should.

"Sh*t," he said under his breath, his fear growing at seeing how seriously his sons were hurt.

"D'd?" Dean queried weakly.

John glanced over at his son and sighed. "He's got a concussion, Dean," he said finally.

Dean closed his eyes and licked at his dry lips. "Get 'm outa here…get 'm h'lp," he whispered.

"Help is on the way, Dean. We're gonna get you both out of here," John replied.

Dean nodded and laid his head back. Suddenly, Dean's eyes flew open and he jerked forward, the teen screaming out as agony ripped up his leg. John scrambled to his son's side and took him into his arms, holding him until the pain subsided enough for the boy to relax somewhat.

"D'd…h'rts…g'd," Dean whispered breathlessly against his father's neck.

"I know…I know and I'm gonna get you out of here," John said comfortingly.

Dean pulled away and John could see in the illumination from his flashlight that Dean was crying. "D'd…S'my…he…he…"

"He's right outside, Dean. He found us and led us here," John quickly said.

"He's 'k?" Dean asked in obvious relief.

"He's fine, Dean," John answered.

Dean nodded before crying out again. "Gah…D'd…hurts," he panted.

John eyed his son fearfully then glanced at his other son. He looked back at Dean then eased him back against the wall. "I'm gonna go for just a second, Dean…I'll be right back," he said, his dark eyes remaining on his son as if asking for permission to leave him.

Dean gazed at his father, fear and pain clearly on his face, but finally nodded. "'k," he whispered.

John scrambled back to the rock pile and climbed up as quickly as he could. He stuck his head out of the hole and glanced down to where his friends stood waiting for help to arrive.

"I need help in here," he called down even as his eyes sought out his youngest son.

He found Sam staring up at him with panic in his eyes and crawled a little bit more out of the hole. "It's okay, Sammy…they're both going to be fine," he called, hoping the boy would not hear the fear in his voice.

Sam moved forward, his intention clear to his father. "No, Sam…you stay down there with Josh. Caleb and I will take care of your brothers," he instructed.

Sam stopped and glanced up. "Dad…I…"

"Its too dangerous, squirt. There could be another aftershock. I need you to stay out there with Josh," John called down.

Sam bit at his bottom lip as he nodded up at his father then watched as Caleb reached the top, both men soon out of sight as they disappeared into the cave. Joshua walked over to Sam and rested his hand on the boy's shoulder. He gazed down and smiled as Sam looked up at him. "They'll be fine, kiddo. Don't worry," he said, the man frowning when he noticed Sam holding his side, his face pale and drawn. "You okay, Sam?"

Sam nodded as he continued to gaze up at Josh. "'m fine…its my brothers…" he replied, but the sound of helicopters suddenly drew both man and boy's attention away from the conversation and to the sky above them.

Joshua ran to where he'd been before and clicked his flashlight on then began to wave it in the air. The helicopter circled around then moved out of sight, though both Sam and Joshua could still hear it as its pilot hopefully found someplace to land. Another helicopter flew overhead then disappeared in the same direction the other had gone. Sam hurried over to Joshua and both watched the dark woods for signs of movement. Suddenly, several people broke through the treeline and rushed toward the hill where Sam and Joshua stood.

"Up here! They're up here!" Joshua called as he shone his flashlight down the rocky hill.

"How many!?" one man called up as they began to climb the hill.

Joshua looked down at Sam as the boy looked up at him then turned back toward the men. "Two! There's two teenagers trapped in the cave. Their father and uncle are in with them now!" Joshua called back.

"They hurt!?"

"Yes…but we don't know how bad!"

The men reached Sam and Joshua then immediately began to set up their lighting equipment, shining the beams on the opening in the rockpile. The first man turned to Joshua then looked down at Sam. "That where they are?" he asked.

"Y-yeah…my brothers…please help them," Sam said shakily.

The man shone his flashlight on Sam's face, frowning at the dried blood that covered one side. "Lets take a look at that head, son," the man said as he began to crouch down in front of the boy.

"No! I'm fine…just…just get my brothers out. Please," Sam pleaded as he stepped back from the man.

The man watched Sam for a moment before turning toward the rock pile where the other men were already reaching the hole. The man walked over to two other men who stood at the bottom of the rock pile, waiting for the men up above to give the okay that they could enter the cave. The men up above began to dig the rocks out of the way, the hole slowly growing in size until they could easily crawl inside. Once given the go ahead, the man who had spoken with Sam and Joshua bent over and picked up a red case and slung its black strap over his shoulder then began to climb up the rock pile. The other two men picked up their equipment and carefully climbed the rock pile then followed the other man inside the cave, leaving Joshua and Sam to watch the hole in nervous anticipation.

* * *

Caleb hurried to John's side, his gaze moving over the brothers and taking in their injuries. He flinched when he saw the large rock that sat upon Dean's leg. He wondered how it could sit there without rolling off, but soon had his answer when he moved around John. There were two smaller rocks on the side of Dean's leg holding the larger rock in place.

"We gotta get this off his leg!" John cried up at him.

"Johnny, maybe we should wait for the rescue crew," Caleb said, not sure of what sort of injury lay beneath the rock.

John glanced at Caleb then at Dean, his dark eyes asking a silent question. "Just get it off of me, Dad," Dean said breathlessly.

John nodded then looked at Caleb. "He's in agony. We have to get it off of him," he said.

"Okay…lets do it," Caleb said as he moved back around until he was standing between Dean's sprawled legs.

John leaned over and studied how the rock sat, both on Dean's leg and on the rocks, the man wanting to remove the rock in most safe and least painful way. Finally, he looked up at Caleb. "I think the best way is to roll it over these rocks. That'll put the least amount of pressure on Dean's leg," he said.

Caleb looked down at the rock and nodded. "Yeah, okay. You stay on that side and keep it steady. I'll get down underneath as far as I can and roll it your way," he said evenly.

John nodded then looked up when he heard a helicopter outside. He looked at Caleb with hope in his eyes then turned his attention to the rock. He leaned over and grasped each side then waited until Caleb was situated. Together, the men carefully rolled the rock toward John, both men cringing when Dean cried out in agony at the change in pressure. Once the rock was fully off of Dean's leg, John stepped to the side and the rolled it the rest of the way to the cave floor. John immediately pulled out his pocketknife and cut up Dean's pant leg to get a good look at the injured limb. Caleb in the meantime moved over to Daniel and began to examine him as best he could in the limited light.

"Sh*t," John hissed under his breath as he got a good look at Dean's leg.

Caleb looked over and flinched when he saw the deep reds and blues that adorned the injured limb. "God, Johnny…that looks bad," he said softly.

"Where the hell is that help we called for!?" John snapped as he looked up into Dean's pain filled face.

Caleb gazed toward the hole and shook his head. "They should be getting here soon. You heard the helicopter," he answered.

John looked over at Caleb then turned his attention to his eldest son. "How's Danny?" he asked fearfully.

"Still out for the count. He's got a concussion for sure, Johnny," Caleb said worriedly.

"Yeah…he," John started, but the sound of falling rocks drew he and Caleb's attention to the small opening they had crawled through.

They shone their flashlights up toward the opening and watched as several pairs of hands slowly pulled the rocks away, making the entrance bigger. Finally, men started to climb through the hole and make their way to the hunters. John and Caleb were pushed out of the way as the men took over caring for Daniel and Dean. They listened as instructions were called between the men and watched as two of the men stood. One man turned to the two hunters and stepped up to them.

"We need to get two stretchers. We'll need help," he said to John.

"No…I can't leave my boys," John said, his dark eyes trailing to his sons then back to the man.

"I understand, but the sooner we get the stretchers, the sooner we get them out of here. They both need immediate medical attention. More than we can give them here. We need to move…now!" the man said urgently.

John took another look at his boys then nodded at the man. "Okay then, lets get my boys out of this cave," he said with conviction.

* * *

Sam stood by as first Daniel, then Dean were removed from the cave, his father and friends helping the rescue workers as they painstakingly carried each teen down the rocks, then down the hill. Sam fell in beside the men as they carried the stretcher that held Dean, the boy reaching out to his brother, unable to speak through the fear that engulfed him. He tried to reach for Dean's hand, but was pushed away as the men started to carry Dean down the steep hill to the ground below.

"Stay out of the way, Sam," John said sternly then turned his attention back to the task at hand.

Sam wrapped his arm tighter around his side, the pain spiking through him as he stumbled over the rocks after the men. He scooted down the hill after them as they carefully eased the stretcher down the hill, each inch that he moved pounding more spikes through his body. He tried to keep up with the urgent gait of the rescuers, but he was finding it hard to breathe and quickly fell behind. He began to panic as he lost sight of his father and brother, but kept his emotions as well in hand as he could. Finally he pushed through the treeline and came into a clearing where two helicopters sat. He could see them loading Dean into one of the helicopters while at the same time he could see them securing Daniel in the other. He moved closer to the helicopters and watched the activity as the men worked to secure his brothers. Finally, the men had his brothers ready to go and he moved closer to the helicopter holding Daniel and gazed up at his father, who sat next to the unconscious teen.

"Sammy, climb up here beside me," John said as he scooted over on the bench.

"Sir, we really don't have the room," the medic who was watching over Daniel said.

"He was in that cave in too. He made that hole and climbed out and he found us and led us to his brothers. He's hurt, even though he won't admit to it," John said as he helped Sam up into the helicopter and secured him in the seat.

The medic looked at Sam and noticed the dried blood on the side of his face. He nodded and went back to monitoring Daniel. John looked out the opening in the helicopter as Joshua and Caleb came into view.

"They don't have room for us, Johnny. We're gonna hike back to the cabin and grab my rig. We'll meet you at the hospital as soon as we can," Caleb said.

"You think you can find it?" John queried.

Joshua nodded then looked at Sam with concern in his eyes. In the light of the helicopter, he could see how pale the kid was and he could see the pain in his hazel eyes. Suddenly, it wasn't just the two older Winchester brother's health he was concerned about. He had the uneasy feeling that the baby Winchester was just as bad off as his brothers, but the kid was a trouper and refused to let just how much pain he was in show. Joshua stepped up to the helicopter and reached in to touch Sam's cheek. Sam looked up at him with tired eyes and smiled softly.

"Hey, Sam. You were brave today. You saved your brother's lives even though you were hurt too," the man of few words said with a warm smile.

"I'm not brave, Josh. I was so scared…" Sam started.

John pulled Sam to his side and waited for him to look up at him. "We were scared too, Sammy, but you…you put your fear in the backround and you found us. I'm so proud of you, son," he said as he smiled down at his baby boy.

Tears welled in Sam's eyes as he gazed up at his father. "Really?" he whispered softly.

John nodded as his own eyes filled and he tugged the boy closer to his side. "Really, Sammy. You're a hero," he said in reply.

Sam nestled against his father and smiled tiredly. "Thanks, Dad," he said.

"Sir, we need to get moving," the pilot called from the front of the helicopter.

John nodded and waved at his friends as they backed away from the helicopter. Soon, both helicopters were airborne and the Winchesters were finally on their way to getting the help they so desperately needed.

* * *

**Well, that's it for now. I hope you all enjoyed it and I will try my hardest to reply to all of your comments, if real life allows! Take care all.**

**Cindy**


	8. Chapter 8

**Well, I'm back. It's been a hectic week, but I finally got this chapter done for you. Ritu...I know I promised it last night, but just couldn't get it done. Sorry sweetie. Anyway, first of all, my son is doing well. Got the all clear to play this weekend, scored two goals and they won their game. All right with the world according to him. Thanks for all of your well wishes and comments. Now, onto the story.**

**Cindy**

* * *

"Where are you taking them!?" John shouted over the roaring beat of the helicopters rotors.

The medic looked up as he continued to monitor Daniel's vitals. "The closest larger hospital is in Bend! Saint Charles Medical Center!" the medic shouted in reply.

"How long before we get there!"

"Not long! We should be there in about twenty minutes!"

The medic returned his full attention back to Daniel as John watched with eagle eyes every single thing the man did. Sam sat beside John, his eyes never leaving his brothers face. His small hand held Daniel's bigger one, his thumb caressing over the top of the cool hand as he silently prayed for his brothers to be okay. John suddenly tightened his arm around Sam, drawing a hiss from the boy before he could stop it. John leaned over and craned his neck so he could see Sam's face and didn't like what he saw.

"Sammy…you okay?" he asked with growing concern.

Sam glanced up at his father and nodded minutely. "'m fine, Dad," he said, his soft voice barely audible over the noise of the helicopter.

"Sam…you're hiding…" John started, but his attention was quickly drawn away when Daniel suddenly began to moan and roll his head from side to side, the boy becoming more and more agitated as he regained consciousness.

John let go of Sam and leaned forward, taking Daniel's hand from Sam's and giving it a gently squeeze. Sam scooted off the uncomfortable bench seat and knelt on the floor next to the stretcher that held Daniel and gazed worriedly up at his brother's face.

"Danny…it's okay, son…you're safe," John said, his mouth right up close to Daniel's ear so the boy could hear him.

Daniel settled almost immediately and rolled his head toward his father. John smiled as recognition lit his son's eyes and he adjusted himself on the seat so he could lean even closer to the teen, the man inadvertently bumping into Sam and knocking the youngster to the floor of the helicopter. Sam cried out as his side made contact with the floor, but the roar of the helicopter rotors kept the sound from reaching any of the other occupant's ears. John turned as he caught the movement as Sam attempted to pull himself up onto the bench.

"Sammy…I'm sorry. You okay, kiddo?" he asked as he helped the boy up from the floor, the worried father leaning close to his son's face.

Sam dropped his head and scrunched his eyes closed, the boy trying to breathe through the pain as best he could. Finally, he looked up and smiled weakly. "'m okay…just tired," he said softly.

"You sure?" John said, a hint of worry worming its way into his mind as he looked upon the pale face of his youngest son.

"Yeah," Sam answered, his hazel eyes moving to his brother, hoping his father would follow suit.

Daniel gazed down at his brother, his eyes half open as he tried to stay awake. Sam leaned forward and tried to ignore the pain that pierced right through him as he took Daniel's hand. Daniel lightly squeezed his hand before his eyes drifted shut and he was dead to the world once again. Sam squeezed back even though he knew his brother couldn't feel it. Sam closed his eyes against the darkness that threatened to take him, just as it had taken his brother. He knew something was wrong, but refused to allow any attention be taken away from the two who needed it most. Dean and Daniel had been hurt because he'd been too weak and timid to make his father listen. It was his fault and he would show no more weakness. He would be just fine, he just needed to suck it up like his father and brothers did.

Sam gently laid Daniel's hand down and leaned back on the bench, his eyes still tightly closed. He let himself drift, not quite asleep, but not quite awake either. He felt his father's arm once again snake around him and he allowed himself to be pulled to the man's side despite the pain it caused him. John never held him anymore, rarely showed him affection and Sam hadn't realized how much he'd missed it until now. Sam leaned his head against his father's shoulder and let himself go, knowing he was safe and protected. Suddenly, he was being shaken awake and he blinked his eyes open just as Daniel was being pulled from the helicopter. He began to panic until John grasped his chin and pulled him around to face him.

"We're here, Sammy. We're at the hospital," John said tiredly.

Sam nodded and allowed the man who stood outside the helicopter to help him to the ground. He bit back a gasp as his feet hit the ground and he stumbled, his father's quick reflexes keeping him from falling to the ground. John made sure that Sam was steady on his feet before letting go of his shoulders and moving to Daniel's side. His dark eyes moved to where Dean was also being rolled to the waiting emergency teams then returned to his eldest son. Sam hurried as quickly as he could behind them, but he found himself struggling for each breath and his legs quickly began to weaken beneath him.

"D-Dad," he called weakly as he stopped, his legs unable to carry him any further.

John turned at his son's voice, surprised that he wasn't right there behind him. His heart leapt into his throat as he watched Sam drop to his knees before his eyes rolled back into his head and he crumpled to the ground.

"Sam!" John screamed as he took off running toward his son. He dropped down next to Sam and placed his hand on the side of the boy's face. "Help me! My son…help my son!" he screamed.

The sound of running feet immediately met John's ears and within moments, he was gently pushed aside as medical personnel swarmed around Sam, blocking John's view. He had to rely on what he could hear to know what was going on, and what he heard left him trembling with unbridled panic.

"Weak breath sounds on the left side! He's got broken ribs…probable punctured lung! Get this kid some oxygen…stat!" a man's voice shouted over all the other voices John could hear.

John pushed to his feet on trembling legs and watched as Sam was gently rolled to his back. A stretcher stood ready on the other side of the commotion and John idly wondered when that had gotten there. An oxygen mask was placed over Sam's face while his jacket was eased from his body and his shirts were cut away. John gasped when he got a look at the dark bruises that riddled Sam's side. His baby had been seriously hurt this entire time and he had failed to notice. Sure, he knew Sam was trying to hide how much pain he was in, but John had been so overwhelmed by the injuries his older boys had suffered, he had missed the severity of his baby's. John was pulled from his musings when the same voice from before called out again.

"Looks like a shoulder injury…right shoulder…and…"

John craned his neck to see why the man had paused and noticed a thirty something man with dark hair pulling the edge of the bandage on Sam's back up. "Uh…he…he said it was a mountain lion," John offered shakily as he moved closer to the crowd who were working on his baby boy. The man nodded then turned back to the others.

"And lacerations to his back…most likely a mountain lion attack," the man finished.

John watched as a backboard was taken down from the stretcher and gently maneuvered underneath Sam. The unconscious boy was strapped to the board then carefully lifted up and placed on the stretcher. The medical team took off toward the emergency entrance with John right on their heels. They disappeared into the hospital then down a long corridor before they loaded onto a large elevator and started down to the emergency department. John was ushered to a waiting area while Sam was pushed through two swinging doors, the same doors John imagined his two eldest boys had most likely been pushed through moments before. He stared at the doors, his dark eyes wide with shock. His boys…all three of them, were hurt seriously and he was to blame. If he'd only listened to Sam, none of this would be happening.

John stood and began to pace, the man unable to just sit and wait. Daniel had an obvious concussion, Dean a severely damaged, most likely broken leg and now Sam was down too.

Sam, who had dug himself out of that cave, traversed the dangerous landscape, killed an attacking mountain lion and found them when they had been heading in the wrong direction. A twelve year old boy whom they all thought was unable to take care of himself in a dangerous situation had led the three seasoned hunters and outdoorsmen to his brothers all while suffering from broken ribs and from what the medic had said, a possibly punctured lung. John brushed a hand over his face and let out a shaky breath. He walked to the back portion of the waiting room and pulled out his cell phone. He hoped that Caleb and Joshua had found their way to the cabin, or were at least close. He didn't think he could do this alone. He punched in a number and waited to see if his call would be answered. He nearly collapsed when the call was answered and Joshua's deep voice came through from the other end of the line.

"_Johnny? How are the boys?"_

"They…it's Sammy, Josh…he…"

"_What is it? What about Sammy?"_

"He's down…he's hurt bad. I don't…I don't know what to do."

"_We're almost to the cabins. We'll get there as soon as we can. Where are you?_"

"Uh…I…Bend. We're in Bend. Saint Charles Medical Center. My boys…my boys, Josh…"

"_They'll be fine, Johnny. Just hold it together, man. We'll be there soon."_

"Yeah. Thanks, Josh…be careful."

"_You know we will. Let us know when you hear anything."_

"I will…just…just get here."

"_Bye, Johnny."_

"Bye."

John pushed end then slid the phone into his pocket. He turned and watched the swinging doors and willed them to open, but they remained cursedly still. John took a look around and for the first time noticed how many people were in the waiting room. He wasn't all that surprised considering the strength of the earthquake. He really couldn't bring himself to care about the others who milled around him, or the ones who sat silently and in shock in the chairs scattered throughout the room. His only concern was for his sons. Nobody else mattered at the moment.

John returned to the chair he had been in before and sank into the almost comfortable seat. He dropped his head into his hands and took a deep, shaky breath. He knew he was in for a long night and he prayed that he would have nothing but good news by the time morning came.

* * *

"Mr. Winchester?"

John jerked as the unexpected voice interrupted his thoughts and he looked up warily into the kind face of an older man wearing a doctors white coat. He stood stiffly and groaned as his back popped. "Yes…I'm John Winchester," he said in gruff reply.

The man held out his hand and smiled. "I'm Dr. Bradley. I've been taking care of your son," the older man said.

"Which one? I…there's three…" John asked as he took the offered hand and gave it a quick shake.

"Oh, yes…of course. I'm sorry…it's been a long day," the doctor said in apology. "I've been taking care of Daniel."

John nodded and brushed his hand through his hair. "How is he?" he asked fearfully.

"Well, I'd say he's a lucky young man. Shall we sit?" the doctor replied.

John nodded and took his seat while the doctor pulled over an empty chair and sat down opposite him. "Is my son going to be okay?" John asked, terrified of the answer he could receive.

"He suffered a serious concussion, but the scan we performed on him did not show any signs of bleeding or swelling. We'll be keeping a close eye on him and will need to take another scan tomorrow afternoon, but all tests show he's doing quite well…considering," the doctor answered.

"Thank God," John said softly as he dropped his eyes to the floor.

"There were some injuries to his legs…"

"What?" John cried as he jerked his eyes up to the doctor's face.

"His lower legs were severely bruised. Luckily, there were no broken bones, but he's quite swollen and will have a hard time putting weight on the legs for a bit," the doctor explained.

"So…he's going to be okay?" John asked hopefully, his heart racing in his chest.

"Well…he'll have a killer headache and we do have to remember he's suffered serious head trauma, but from what we can see right now…he should make a full recovery. As I said…he's a very lucky young man," Dr. Bradley answered.

"Thank you so much. When can I see him?" John said as relief washed over him.

"He's being moved to his room right now. Give the nurses about twenty minutes to get him situated and then one will come and get you," the doctor replied.

"What about my other sons? Are they okay?" John asked fearfully.

"Uh…I'm not sure about them, but I'm sure their doctors will be out shortly to see you," Dr. Bradley said.

John sighed and leaned back wearily in his chair. He watched as Dr. Bradley stood, gave him a quick smile and disappeared through the swinging doors. He only had a few minutes to gather his thoughts and get his breathing under control before another doctor, this one much younger and female approached him and sat down in the chair the previous doctor had vacated. The doctor smiled then held out her hand.

"Mr. Winchester, I'm Dr. Swenson. I've been treating Dean," she said as she shook John's trembling hand.

"You always have this many doctors on hand?" John said with a humorless chuckle, his frayed nerves nearly at their end.

"Only when we have catastrophic earthquakes and such," the doctor replied without skipping a beat.

John smiled, the doctor's calm demeanor relaxing him ever so slightly. "How's my son?" he asked.

"Dean had a pretty bad break to his right tibia…that's the shinbone," the doctor replied.

"How bad?" John asked guardedly.

"Bad enough so that he's being prepped for surgery to insert a metal rod down the center of it," Dr. Swenson said softly.

"God," John hissed.

"It could be worse, Mr. Winchester. From what the rescue workers relayed to us, he had a large rock on his leg, which you and his uncle removed? They said you told them there were smaller rocks holding the large rock stable," Dr. Swenson said.

"Yeah?" John asked with confusion.

"Those smaller rocks most likely kept the larger rock from completely crushing Dean's leg. There was minimal muscle damage and no nerve damage that we could find. If that rock had been unhindered, Dean would have very likely lost his leg," the doctor explained.

"Oh my God…he could have…oh God…"

The doctor reached out and squeezed John's arm then smiled as two wide, dark eyes stared up at her. "The point is…he didn't. He'll have the surgery and his leg will be as good as new. His lower back is pretty badly bruised, but there is no permanent damage there and despite having a good sized lump on his head, he escaped with only a minor concussion," she said sympathetically.

"I'm sorry…I'm just a bit overwhelmed right now. I still don't know about my youngest and my middle kid is going into surgery," John said hoarsely.

"I know, Mr. Winchester. I don't know much about what's going on with your youngest son, but I do know he's in very good hands. Now, as for Dean…Dr. Sikes is the orthopedic surgeon who will be fixing his leg. He's one of the best, so you don't need to worry. I'll be in charge though of Dean once his surgery is done and also of your other son, Daniel. Dr. Bradley is semi retired and won't be staying so I'm afraid you'll be getting used to me in the days to come," Dr. Swenson said.

"What about Sammy? Will you be in charge of his care too?" John asked.

The doctor shook her head and bit her lower lip. "Sam will most likely stay under the care of our pediatric unit so I won't be in charge of his care, but I can assure you he's got the best doctor taking care of him that he could possibly have," Dr. Swenson answered.

Just as John was about to speak, a young woman, petite in size, walked up behind the doctor and cleared her throat. Dr. Swenson stood and stepped to the side, but did not leave.

"Mr. Winchester?" the young nurse queried.

"Yeah…that's me," John said as he too stood.

"I'm Betty. I'm here to take you to Daniel's room," the nurse said.

John smiled tiredly and moved around the other chair. Dr. Swenson grabbed his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Go see your son. Dean will be in surgery for about two hours then he'll be in recovery for a few more after that. You should get some rest in the meantime," the doctor said kindly.

"Thank you," John said.

"You're welcome," the doctor said then turned and walked back to the swinging doors.

"Are you ready to see your son?" Betty asked as she waited for John to return his attention to her.

John cast his gaze onto the young nurse and nodded. "Yeah…I'm ready," he said with a small, grateful smile.

* * *

John sat next to Daniel's bedside, his large hand holding the smaller one of his eldest son. He had tried to sleep, but worry for all three of his boys had kept him from the rest he so needed. Dr. Swenson had stopped in about twenty minutes prior to inform him that Dean was out of surgery and recovering nicely in the recovery room, but John had yet to hear anything about his youngest son's condition. He'd asked Dr. Swenson, but all she could tell him was that Sam was in good hands. John was nearly at the end of his endurance and he knew that if he didn't get some news soon, he'd go stark raving mad. He'd spoken with Caleb a half hour ago and was expecting he and Joshua to show up at any minute. He'd never needed his friends as badly as he needed them now and was so thankful that soon, he wouldn't be alone.

John looked up at the monitors that surrounded Daniel's bed for the umpteenth time and sighed deeply. The boy had awakened a few times, mumbled a few words then had drifted right back off again. He'd been assured that this was normal and that Daniel was doing quite well, but he still couldn't let himself relax. Daniel's face was bruised and swollen, cuts marring the soft skin. He had a large bandage on one side that covered a deep gash and his legs had been propped up on pillows to take the pressure off the deep bruises that covered the backs of them. A soft knock at Daniel's door brought John out of his thoughts and he looked up as the door opened, fully expecting to see Caleb and Joshua stroll into the room. However, it wasn't his friends who entered. A tall, muscular man with large brown eyes stepped into the room, his gaze falling first on the sleeping teen in the bed then onto the man who sat vigil at his side.

"Mr. Winchester…I'm Dr. Jungers. I'm the head Pediatric physician here at Saint Charles," the man said in a deep timbre.

John stood, his legs suddenly very weak. This was what he'd been waiting for. This was the man who had for the past several hours been caring for his youngest son. His baby. "H-How's my son? How's my Sammy?" John asked, his voice as shaky as his legs.

Dr. Jungers stepped further into the room and motioned at the chair John had just vacated. "Why don't you take a seat, Mr. Winchester. We need to talk," he said, and suddenly, John's whole world came crashing down around him.

* * *

**Just can't seem to leave them cliffies alone! lol Sorry 'bout that. I'm on vacation this week, so hopefully I'll have more time to sit and write and you won't have to wait so long for the next chapter. I hope this chapter was worth the wait.**

**Cindy**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm back! Shocked? I'll bet you are! Vacation is great. I have time to write for more than a half hour here or there. Plus, I just couldn't leave you with that cliffy for very long. Thanks for all of the wonderful comments. You guys are so great! Now, I'll let you get on with the story.**

**Cindy**

* * *

"We need to talk."

All the air left John's lungs as those words registered in his muddled brain. He slowly sat down and gazed up as the tall doctor pulled another chair from the corner and sat down. "M-my son…is he okay?" John asked fearfully, terrified to hear the answer.

Dr. Jungers glanced down at his clipboard for a moment then lifted his brown eyes to gaze upon the expectant face of the haggard man before him. "Sam is stable now. He had quite a few injuries, one of which is very serious," the doctor explained.

"What?" John queried softly, his hand absently seeking out that of his eldest son.

"First of all, the laceration on Sam's back. It had become infected, but we've taken care of that and stitched the wound. He suffered an AC joint separation and…"

"Wh-what's that? I…"

"It's commonly known as a shoulder separation. Not too serious, but quite painful. We've immobilized the shoulder and will start ultrasound treatments later tomorrow," the doctor explained.

"Shoulder separation. He did all of that with a separated shoulder," John murmured under his breath, amazed at what his youngest son had accomplished when he had to have been in extreme pain.

"Mr. Winchester, the shock of what happened out there, and the adrenaline would have made the pain more dulled. He would have been in pain, but not as bad as you're thinking," Dr. Jungers said.

John nodded and glanced over at his sleeping son. He gently let loose of Daniel's hand then looked back at the doctor. "What else?" he asked warily.

"He had a scalp laceration, but it seems as though he escaped without a concussion, so that's a positive. It's his lung that we're concerned about," the doctor answered.

"I heard them when they were working on him outside. Broken ribs…"

"Yes. Sam had three broken ribs on his left side. Sometime after breaking them, he somehow hit them again. He suffered a pneumothorax…"

"A pneumothorax?"

"A punctured lung. Now Sam's is what we call a symptomatic pnuemothorax. Very serious as it greatly restricts his ability to breathe properly. The lung has collapsed…"

"What!? Collapsed? God…"

"It's pretty much a given that the lung will collapse if punctured," the doctor explained.

John nodded slowly, his mind trying to put itself around everything that he was hearing. "Uh…what will you do for him? Will he be okay?" he asked quietly.

"We did a needle thoracostomy followed by the insertion of a chest tube. This will help relieve the tension of pressure and help his breathing while the lung heals. Because of Sam's weakened condition, we had to sedate him and perform the procedures in surgery. We did not need to intubate him, so that's good. He's on pure oxygen and is under constant monitoring," Dr. Jungers answered.

"But he's going to be okay, right? When can I see him?" John queried, his head reeling from what he'd just been told. A tube in his baby's chest? Constant monitoring?

"Sam will be settled in the pediatric ICU once he's done in recovery which could be happening as we speak, but it'll be several hours before he'll be allowed visitors. Mr. Winchester, I need you to understand that your son isn't completely out of the woods. There's a chance of infection and if that happens, things could go from bad to much worse very fast. My number one priority is your son," the doctor said in reply.

"So, you're saying Sammy could get an infection in his lung? Could he die?" John asked warily.

Dr. Jungers took a deep breath then let it out slowly. "Yes, he could," he answered softly. "I've got Sam on intravenous antibiotics to hopefully keep him free from infection. I'm doing everything in my power to keep him from getting any sicker than he already is."

John collapsed back into his chair and brushed his hand over his face. God, how could this be happening? How could he have let this happen? He leaned forward and looked up at the doctor. "If Sammy wakes up and I'm not there, he's going to panic. I need to be with him," he said.

"I'm keeping him sedated for the time being. He won't be waking up for quite some time so I think you should focus your attention on your other sons for right now," Dr. Jungers said.

"I…I can't focus on them and not on Sammy. He saved their lives. If it weren't for him, we may not have found them in time," John said softly.

"I've heard some pretty amazing things about him. Sounds like he's a pretty special kid," Dr. Jungers said with a hint of admiration in his voice.

John glanced at the doctor and smiled. "All my boys are special. You'll never know how much. Sammy…he's like…I don't know how to explain it," John said, his voice filled with pride.

Dr. Jungers reached out and patted John's knee. "I'm going to take very good care of your son, Mr. Winchester. I'll get you in with him just as soon as it's safe to do so," he said as he stood and pushed the chair back to the corner.

John stood then reached out and shook the man's hand gratefully. "Thank you…for everything," he said, his voice cracking with exhaustion and emotion.

"You're welcome. I'm going to go check to see that Sam's been settled in okay. I'll keep you updated on his condition," the doctor said before turning and leaving the room.

John watched the door for a moment before turning back to the bed. Daniel was still out for the count, though the doctor had assured him it was to be expected. John walked to the window and pushed the blinds aside. He gazed out upon the dark parking lot and wished for the thousandth time that he'd listened to Sam. He knew it was unreasonable to blame himself for what had happened, that there was no way to know that Sam's nightmares were really premonitions, but he just couldn't do anything but blame himself. Sam had been so scared…so adamant that his dreams were real. So sure that they were going to happen and John had just brushed him off like he was some stupid kid. Sam was anything but stupid and John should have at least listened to him. If anything happened to his baby, something worse than what had already happened, John may never get the chance to tell him how sorry he was for ignoring his fears. John leaned his forehead against the cool glass of the window and closed his eyes. It felt good, even helping to dull the steady ache in his head.

John jumped when a hand was suddenly placed upon his shoulder and he spun around, fists ready to defend himself. He collapsed back when he saw Joshua standing before him, his hands held up in front of him.

"God, Josh…you frickin' scared me," he hissed.

"You're slipping old man," Caleb said from where he stood next to Daniel's bed, his lips curled up in amusement.

"Got a few things on my mind at the moment jerk," John said in reply, a hint of a smile on his own lips.

John stepped up to Daniel's bed and gazed down at the sleeping teen. He felt Joshua move up beside him, but his gaze remained on his son. He did glance over though at the sound of Joshua's voice.

"How's he doing?" the tall man asked.

"He's got a serious concussion and deeply bruised legs, but the doctor says he's going to be okay," John answered.

"What about Dean and short stack?" Caleb asked, his eyes filled with concern.

"Dean had surgery to put a steel rod in his shinbone. His lower back was badly bruised and he has a slight concussion," John said in reply.

"And Sammy?" Joshua asked warily.

John's eyes dropped to the floor and he sighed. He tried to speak, but he couldn't get the words past the lump in his throat.

"Johnny? What's wrong with Sammy?" Caleb queried softly.

John looked up and the pain in his eyes told the younger man that the news was not good. He grasped the bed railing and waited for his friend to get himself together enough to answer. Joshua looked up into Caleb's eyes and shook his head before casting his gaze at the man beside him. John took a step back and sank into the chair. He dropped his head into his hands, his elbows resting on his knees, before looking up into the expectant faces of his fellow hunters and friends.

"He…he's stable, but he's in the ICU. He…" John started, his voice cracking. He swallowed then continued. "He has a separated shoulder, a scalp laceration, the claw marks on his back and a collapsed lung."

"What? A separated shoulder and collapsed lung? How the hell did he even climb out of that cave?" Caleb exclaimed with amazement.

"Love for his brothers," John said without thought. "He knew they needed help and he did what he knew he had to do to get them that help. I don't think he had the punctured lung at that time, but he probably had the broken ribs that caused it. Somewhere along the line, he re-injured the ribs and punctured his lung. Either way, he saved their lives."

"Damn. I knew something was wrong, but with everything happening like it did, I just didn't pay close enough attention," Joshua said with regret in his deep voice.

"Josh, don't do that. I thought he was hurt worse than he let on, but I let him lead us to Dean and Danny anyway. This is all on me. I don't know what I'd have done without you and Caleb," John said as he stood and grasped his friend's arm.

"I know you won't listen, but you shouldn't blame yourself either, John. The boys are safe now and I just know that Sammy will be just fine," Caleb said from the opposite side of Daniel's bed.

"They're afraid of infection. If that happens, Sammy could die. I could lose my baby. I don't know what I'll do if that happens. How will we survive?" John cried out softly, his dark eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Joshua grasped John's arm and eased him back into the chair. He leaned back against the windowsill and gazed down at his friend. "Johnny, you're not going to lose Sam," he said with conviction.

John looked up and shook his head. "How do you know that?" he asked miserably.

"Because that kid is more stubborn than you for one thing. He's strong and he's a Winchester, but most of all, he knows what it would do to all of you and there's no way he's gonna hurt you like that," Joshua answered.

John leaned back in the chair and smiled warmly. "He is stubborn," he said fondly. "I hope you're right, Josh. God, I hope you're right."

* * *

John stood at Dean's bedside, his dark eyes taking in the damage to his middle child. Like Daniel, his face was marred by cuts and bruises, the injuries standing out against his pale skin. His leg was elevated and exposed, a heavy brace keeping it stable until a cast could be put on once the incision had healed. John reached for the teen's hand and took it into his. He massaged the back of the hand with his thumb as he continued to watch Dean sleep. He was thankful to his friends, both of whom had offered to stay with Daniel when the nurse had come for him. Now, all he could do was watch his son and wait for him to wake up. He didn't know what he would tell Dean once he did come to, at least not about Sam. Neither boy knew about Sam and he was terrified to tell them. He didn't want stress about his condition to hinder either teen's recovery, but he knew he couldn't keep it from them either. They had a right to know about their baby brother no matter how frightened John was to tell them. A soft moan pulled John from his thoughts and he gazed down expectantly into his middle son's face, smiling as green eyes cracked open and stared dazedly up at him.

"Hey, kiddo…welcome back," John said as he leaned over the railing to be closer to his son.

"D'd?" Dean croaked, the rawness of his voice making John wince with sympathy.

"Here, let me get you some ice chips," John said before reaching for a plastic cup that sat on the bedside table.

John spooned out a small amount of ice and placed it to Dean's waiting lips. The teen parted his lips and greedily sucked the ice chips into his mouth. He closed his eyes and sighed as the cold from the ice cooled his sore throat. He opened his eyes again and gazed up at his father. "S'more?" he queried hopefully before opening his mouth to receive another spoonful of ice.

"How's that?" John asked as he replaced the cup on the table and turned to his son.

"Better," Dean answered, his voice still rough, but sounding better than it had before.

John smiled leaned up against the railing, his dark eyes never leaving his son's face. "How you feeling, son?" he asked softly.

"Leg hurts," Dean answered with a grimace, his eyes trailing down to his elevated limb.

"Doesn't surprise me. You broke it good. Got a steel rod to prove it," John said with a slight chuckle.

Dean looked up at his father and John knew what was coming next. He was not disappointed. "Danny?" the teen asked, his green eyes pleading with his father to tell him everything was okay.

"He's okay, Dean. Doc says he'll be good as new in no time," John answered.

Dean gave a relieved sigh then cast his eyes around his room, this eyebrows knitting together in confusion. He looked back at his father, those eyes filled with sudden fear. "Where's S'my?" he asked, his words still slightly slurred from the drugs he'd been given for his pain.

John raised his eyes and stared across the room, the seasoned hunter completely terrified at the moment. He finally dropped his gaze back to Dean's face, the boy's eyes widening in sudden realization.

"You're scaring me here, Dad. Tell me where Sam is," he said, all hint of sleepiness gone from his suddenly strong voice.

"He…uh…he's up in the pediatric ICU," John said softly.

"Wh-what?" Dean whispered, his eyes staring helplessly up at his father. "Why?"

"He was hurt, Dean. Worse than any of us knew," John answered, guilt tingeing the words as he spoke them.

"I knew it! I knew he wasn't telling me everything!" Dean cried, his own guilt apparent in the way he turned his eyes away from his father. "How bad?" he asked, John aware of the tears in his voice.

This was it. What should he say? Should he tell him the complete truth, or should he sugar coat it for Dean's benefit. He finally decided that the truth was the only way to go. Dean would see right through any lie or half truth, the teen having an uncanny ability to know exactly what was a lie when it came to his baby brother. John took in a deep breath when Dean turned his green eyes back to him and waited for an answer.

"He has a punctured lung, Dean. It collapsed and they had to put a chest tube in to help with his breathing," he said, the man reaching out for Dean's hand when the teen looked like he would start to hyperventilate.

"Dean…breathe slowly," John said calmly though his heart was racing wildly in his chest.

Dean gazed up at his father and didn't even try to hide nor stop the tears that fell from his eyes. "He…he's gonna be okay isn't he? I mean…they fixed everything and he's gonna be okay…right, Dad?" he asked pleadingly.

"Dean…he's doing as well as can be expected. His doctor is doing everything to make sure Sam continues to improve," John said in reply.

"But?" Dean said, the teen smart enough to know that he wasn't getting the whole story.

John shook his head, cursing not for the first time that he had such smart kids. "But, there is a possibility that Sam could develop an infection and that would not be good," John finally said.

Dean closed his eyes and lifted a shaky hand to his face. "God, Dad," he whispered as he opened his eyes and stared up at his father.

"I know, kiddo. I wish I could take all of this onto myself, but I can't," John said, the man meaning every word.

"What else?" Dean asked.

"What else what?" John questioned.

"I know there's more. The way Sammy was carrying himself. I know there's more than a collapsed lung, Dad," Dean said in reply.

John shook his head as he gazed with deep pride and affection at his middle son. Of course he would know there was more. "He has a separated shoulder and stitches on his back where the mountain lion attacked him…"

"What!? Mountain lion? What mountain lion!?" Dean cried, the teen trying to sit up further than the slight incline of his bed had him. John's gentle push at his shoulder halted him, but his eyes still demanded an answer.

"When he found us, he…he collapsed. That's when I noticed the blood. There were claw marks on his upper back. I cleaned them up and bandaged them and then he woke up. He said a mountain lion had attacked him, but that he'd killed it somehow. I didn't get any more than that because he insisted that he was fine and that we needed to get to you and Danny right away," John explained.

"And you believed him? You just let him hike through the woods with a separated shoulder and punctured lung and didn't even think that maybe you should be getting him somewhere safe?" Dean snapped, anger brightening his green eyes.

"First of all, I didn't know he was hurt that badly. He insisted he was okay. He said you and Danny were badly hurt and me, Caleb and Josh were going the wrong way. The way he was so upset, I couldn't think anything other than it was life or death," John answered tiredly, knowing he deserved Dean's ire.

"Maybe if you'd checked him over a little bit more, you'd have found he was hiding how badly he was hurt," Dean said, more fear than anger in his voice.

"That's what I've been telling myself, Dean. Ever since he collapsed after we got off the helicopter…"

"What? Helicopter?"

"We couldn't get you and Danny out on our own. Josh was able to pick up a signal and called for help. They flew you, Danny, Sammy and me here on the helicopters," John explained.

Dean's mouth hung open as he considered this new information. "So, Sammy led you to the cave, held up for as long as it took to get Danny and me out and then get to the hospital on the helicopter and then he collapsed? How is that possible? If he had a punctured lung all that time, how could he have not collapsed sooner?"

"I don't know, Dean. The doctor said that he most likely broke his ribs and then re-injured them somehow and that's when he punctured his lung," John said, his own mind trying to come up with an explanation for Sam's endurance.

"So, it wasn't when he first broke his ribs? What else could have happened?"

"Maybe when he was attacked by the mountain lion?"

"But, that was before he found you and then he led you to the cave? How long did it take to get me and Danny out?"

"Uh…I'm not sure. It was a couple of hours maybe from the time we found the cave to when they got you out," John answered.

"Could he have made it that long with a punctured lung? I don't know, Dad."

"I don't know when else he could have…oh God," John said, his face suddenly paling when realization dawned on him.

"What, Dad. What's wrong?" Dean asked fearfully.

"The helicopter. We were with Danny and he started waking up. He was agitated and I was trying to calm him. I think…I think I bumped Sammy 'cause when I looked over, he was trying to pull himself up from the floor and he looked like he was in a lot of pain," John said, the man suddenly feeling sick at the realization that it was he who had caused Sam to re-injure his ribs, thus puncturing his lung.

Dean, seeing the guilt in his father's eyes, reached out and grasped the man's hand. John glanced down at him, his eyes glistening. "Dad…it's not your fault. You didn't mean to…"

"It is my fault. I was so worried about Danny that I forgot about Sam and now…now he's lying up there and I can't even go see him…"

"What? You haven't seen him yet? Why not?" Dean asked incredulously.

"I think they want him isolated right now to cut down on the chance of infection. I'm not sure if that's it, but the doctor said it would be several hours before I could be with him," John answered, the man suddenly sounding exhausted.

"What if he wakes up and he's all alone? He'll freak out, Dad," Dean said worriedly.

"Dr. Jungers assured me that Sam would remain sedated for awhile and wouldn't be waking up any time soon. I have to do as the doctor wishes, Dean. I can't risk Sam getting an infection," John said.

"I know. I just…you know he doesn't like to be alone, especially when he's sick. For him to wake up in a strange place and nobody there watching over him? I don't want him to be scared," Dean said softly.

"He won't wake up alone…I promise. I'm going to talk to Dr. Jungers in a bit to see when I can sit with him," John said.

Dean nodded and rolled his head to the side when John sat down in the chair next to his bed. "Can I see Danny?" he asked, his voice tinged with desperation.

"I don't know if they can move you yet, son. You just had surgery…"

"Couldn't they move me into Danny's room? Or move him into mine? You shouldn't have to be running from room to room, Dad," Dean offered.

"I'll talk to the doctor. Both you and Danny have the same doctor, so I may be able to work something out with her. In the meantime, Caleb and Josh are sitting with Danny. I'll have one of them come sit with you once I get to go see Sammy," John replied.

"I don't need a babysitter, Dad."

"I know you don't, Dean, but I don't want you to be alone. Just do this for your old man, okay?" John said with a smirk.

"Yeah, okay," Dean agreed, the teen unwilling to tell his father that he was grateful he wouldn't have to be alone.

John nodded and leaned back in his chair. "Get some sleep, Dean. You need your rest," he instructed, smiling when Dean started to argue before a large yawn cut off his words.

Dean fought sleep for several minutes, but then the automatic medicator released a dose of painkillers and soon, the teen was snoring softly, leaving John to his thoughts once again.

* * *

**No evil cliffy! How 'bout that! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and the father/son moment between John and Dean. Next chapter we'll see Danny waking up and John finally getting to see his baby. Wonder what Danny's reaction to Sam's condition will be. If he can comprehend anything that is! Take care guys!**

**Cindy**


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm back! I've had the week from hell and just haven't had time to sit down and write. Big week at work, but now it's behind me and I had time to just sit down and get these words put down. Anyone ready for some Danny? I hope you like it.**

**Cindy**

* * *

John stood next to Sam's bedside, his dark eyes taking in every bruise, cut and scrape. He yearned to touch his boy, but was afraid to do so. Sam looked so frail, his small body nearly swallowed up by the hospital bed. Wires and tubes seemed to come from everywhere, John aware that one of those tubes was coming from his baby's chest. He reached up and adjusted the mask on his face, the man hating having to wear it, but understanding why. He couldn't risk bringing anything into the room that could hurt his son. Finally, he worked up the nerve and reached out a shaky hand and rested it on Sam's forehead. The boy felt slightly warm, but to John any kind of fever was frightening. Fever could mean infection and infection for Sam could be life threatening. He moved his hand down to cup Sam's cheek, his thumb gently brushing over the boy's long eyelashes before moving over his temple. He reached down and took Sam's small hand into his and squeezed it tenderly.

"God, kiddo. I don't know what to say to you," John started, his voice low and gravely as he gazed upon his unconscious son. "Look at me, a grown man…hunter extraordinaire and I'm scared to death right now."

John dropped his head and squeezed his eyes tightly shut. Sam's hand felt so fragile in his, like if he just squeezed a little bit tighter it would break. John raised his head and opened his eyes, the man once again gazing down upon his boy. He turned his head and spotted a chair a few feet away. He reached out his foot and hooked the chair then pulled it to the bed. He sat wearily down upon the cushioned seat and rested his elbows on the side of the bed. The hand that cupped Sam's cheek moved up, fingers brushing though the boy's messy mop of hair.

"Sammy…I'm so sorry. I did this to you. I forgot about you when Danny…I hurt you and now…now here you are," John whispered brokenly, his voice cracking under the emotions washing over him.

John continued to watch his son, his fingers absently carding through the boy's hair, hoarse voice whispering anything he could think of in hopes that Sam could hear him. The sound of the glass door sliding open brought John's attention away from his boy and he sighed wearily when a middle aged woman wearing scrubs and a surgical mask entered the room.

"Mr. Winchester, I'm sorry, but your time is up for now. I need to check Sam's vitals and change his dressings. You can come back in an hour," the nurse said apologetically.

"I need to stay with him. I won't get in the way," John said as he gazed up at the nurse with pleading eyes.

"I'm sorry, I wish I could let you stay, but I can't. It's only an hour…"

"He's just a little kid. If he wakes up and I'm not here he'll panic," John interrupted.

"He's heavily sedated, Mr. Winchester. He won't wake up, I assure you. Now, you can talk to Dr. Jungers about extending your visiting time, but for right now, I have to ask you to leave. I'm sorry," the nurse said softly.

John sighed, knowing he would get nowhere with this nurse. He understood the reasons for the rules, but the thought of leaving Sam all alone tore at his heart. He gazed down at his son and smiled sadly. He leaned over and planted a tender kiss on Sam's forehead then whispered softly in his ear that he would be back as soon as he was allowed. He backed away from the bed, but found it difficult to let go of his baby's hand. Finally, he gently lowered Sam's hand to the bed and with one last look, he turned and left the room, sliding the glass door closed behind him. He turned back around and peered longingly through the glass, watching as the nurse took Sam's vitals before gently beginning the task of removing his bandages and replacing them with new ones. John smiled as he continued to watch the nurse, her lips constantly moving as she worked on Sam. Finally, after having determined that Sam was in good hands, he turned away and walked down the hall to the bank of elevators that would take him to his other sons.

* * *

"When is he going to wake up, Dad?" Dean's tired voice asked, his green eyes staring over at the bed that held his unconscious brother.

John glanced warily at his middle son and sighed. "I don't know. He'll wake up when he's ready I guess," he answered.

"At least they moved me into his room," Dean said softly as he cast his gaze to his father's face.

John smiled tiredly and nodded. It'd taken some convincing, but finally Dr. Swenson had agreed to allow Dean to be moved into his big brother's room. She'd explained the special care a patient who had just gone through surgery required, but was finally persuaded that the best medicine for the teen was to be where he could see his brother. Dean had been settled in while John had been up with Sam and the man was thankful that Joshua and Caleb had been there to watch over his older boys so he could be with his youngest. Joshua and Caleb had gone to the hospital cafeteria for a quick bite once John had returned with the promise of bringing him back something since he refused to leave his boys alone. Well, at least two of his boys weren't alone. John reached out and took Dean's hand, an action that would have normally seen the teen pulling said hand away and whispering Christo, but under the circumstances, Dean was happy to have the contact.

"Dean, he's going to be fine. He's just very tired and had a pretty good knock on the head. The doctor said all of his scans look good," John said reassuringly.

Dean nodded, his green eyes sweeping back to his brother before coming to rest once again on his father. "What about Sammy? Is he doing any better?" he asked, his voice full of worry.

John sighed again, knowing it wasn't going to be what Dean wanted to hear. "He's still sedated, but at least he's getting the rest he needs," he said softly.

"But, he's not doing any better is he?" Dean questioned.

"He's still very sick, Dean…but you know your little brother. He's a fighter…" John answered, his words cut off by a soft groan coming from the other bed.

John jerked his head around, as did Dean, before he quickly rose from his chair and leaned over Daniel's bed. He reached down and ran his fingers gently over the teen's cheek while at the same time speaking to him in a hushed voice.

"Danny…that's it, son…wake up for me. Open your eyes now," he coaxed, a warm smile breaking out on his lips when Daniel's tired eyes blinked open and stared up at him.

"D'd?" the teen whispered as he continued to blink his eyes.

"Yeah, kiddo…it's me. Dean's here too," John answered as he moved a little to the side so that Dean could see his brother.

"Hey, Danny…how's the head?" Dean called softly, his green eyes filled with concern for his big brother.

Daniel rolled his head in the direction of Dean's voice and squinted in the subdued light. "D'n? You 'kay?" he asked, the big brother in him coming to the forefront even in his condition.

"I'm fine, Danny. You're the one who got his brains scrambled back in that cave," Dean answered with a smile.

"B'ch," Daniel murmured, a slight grin curling his lips.

"Jerk," Dean quipped in return, his green eyes sweeping up to meet his father's amused brown ones before moving back to his brother.

Daniel's eyes scanned the room then he rolled his head to the other side. When he turned back toward his family, his eyes were wide with confusion. "W's S'my?" he asked in a slurred, tired voice.

"Danny…just get some rest. We'll talk later," John said, not wanting to have this conversation so soon after Daniel waking up.

"D'd…what's goin' on?" Daniel asked, his voice a bit clearer now as panic began to course through him.

John glanced at Dean's worried face then turned back to Daniel. He brushed his hand over his face and looked down at his feet. Finally, he lifted his head and gazed down at his eldest boy. "Sammy is very sick, Danny," he said, his heart hammering in his chest as he watched his son's face pale even more than it already was.

"How sick?" Daniel asked softly.

"He…he was hurt…worse than he let on. His shoulder was separated somehow and he broke three ribs. Somewhere along the way in finding us, he was attacked by a mountain lion…"

"What?" Daniel cried in alarm, the teen hissing as pain spiked through his head.

"He got clawed pretty good on his back, but they stitched him up," John answered.

"'s not all though. What else?" Daniel queried.

"Uh…he…he got jarred and…and one of the broken ribs punctured his lung," John replied softly.

Daniel closed his eyes and rolled his head away. "My fault…'s my fault," he whispered before a sob shook his body.

"What? No…Danny, this isn't your fault. Don't say that," John said as he reached over and gently turned Daniel's head back around.

Daniel looked up at him, his eyes filled with misery. "Yeah it is. 'm the oldest…I sh'da kept 'im safe," he whispered as his eyes swept over to Dean. "Both of 'em."

"Danny…I'm fine," Dean said, his green eyes locking with Daniel's.

Daniel looked down at Dean's casted leg and shook his head. "Don't look fine," he said softly.

"Danny," John said, bringing his son's attention back to him. "None of this is your fault. I'm the one who didn't listen to Sammy. I'm the one who is responsible for all of you. If anyone is to blame, it's me," he continued.

"D'd…"

"No…I'm not going to let you accept blame, Danny. I shouldn't have made you boys go off on your own. Now I don't want to hear anymore about this being your fault," John said sternly.

"Yes, sir," Daniel whispered.

"Good," John said as he gave his son a pat on the knee.

"Dad? Is…is Sammy gonna die?" Daniel suddenly asked, his eyes wide with fear as he watched his father's face.

John's mouth dropped open as he gazed at his eldest son's face. He reached for Daniel's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, his heart breaking at the despair he witnessed on the teen's face. "No, Danny. Sam's going to be fine. They're taking real good care of him," he answered.

"Is Caleb and Josh with him?"

"No. He can't have visitors all of the time," John answered.

"But…he's alone. Sammy doesn't like to be alone," Daniel whispered tiredly.

"Danny, he's sleeping. They have him sedated to keep him still while the chest tube is in…"

"Ch-chest tube? Dad…"

"It's okay, Danny. It's just there to help his lung re-establish the proper pressure…or whatever. That's what Sam's doctor told me anyway," John said wearily.

Daniel stared up at his father, his wet eyes drooping heavily. "He's all 'lone," he whispered as his eyes slowly closed and his breathing evened out.

John brushed his fingers through Daniel's hair and gazed down at the now sleeping teen. "Rest, Danny," he whispered before moving back to the chair and sinking down into the seat.

John turned his head and met the tired eyes of his middle son. "You should get some sleep too, Dean," he said.

"I'm…" Dean started, but was interrupted when the door to the room opened and a tall man in a doctor's coat entered the room.

John glanced nervously over at Dean before slowly rising to his feet and stepping toward the doctor. "Dr. Jungers…uh…what're you doing here?" he asked shakily.

"Mr. Winchester, why don't we step out into the hall so we can talk in private," the doctor said in reply, his brown eyes glancing down at Dean before returning to John's face.

"No…if this is about Sammy, I want to hear it too," Dean said, his green eyes glaring up at the doctor defiantly.

"Uh…I think your father and I should talk…"

"It's okay. Whatever you need to say, you can say in front of him," John interrupted.

Dr. Jungers looked back down at Dean then up at John. Finally, he nodded and moved toward John. "I'm afraid I don't have good news," he said nervously.

"What is it? What's wrong with my brother?" Dean cried before John could even open his mouth to speak.

"Despite our best efforts, Sam has developed an infection in his lung and…"

"What!? How could this happen? You said you had him on antibiotics!" John shot angrily, his anger driven by overwhelming fear.

"Mr. Winchester, Sam's weakened condition was too much, even for the treatment he has been receiving. In all likelihood, he already had an infection starting, but the infection in the claw marks masked the fact that he also had an infection beginning in his lung," the doctor explained.

"I don't understand. How could he get an infection that fast? If his lung was punctured on the helicopter and he got treatment right away, how could he have developed an infection?" John asked with bewilderment.

"Why do you think Sam punctured his lung on the helicopter?" the doctor asked.

"Well, he got bumped and fell onto the floor. I just assumed that's when the rib punctured his lung. I mean…he couldn't have had it sooner than that…could he?" John asked warily.

"Mr. Winchester, Sam could have punctured his lung hours before he collapsed," Dr. Jungers said.

"What? How can that be?" Dean exclaimed from his bed.

"He would have had pain and most likely would have had some trouble breathing, but the adrenaline would have masked that somewhat," the doctor answered.

"But, he didn't jar his ribs anytime after he found us until the helicopter. That means he did it beforehand," John said, his eyes staring off as he thought about what this new information meant.

"Dad…what about when the mountain lion attacked him?" Dean asked.

"Oh God…that has to be when it happened. He was suffering all that time. Son of a bitch!" John cried.

John collapsed down into his chair and dropped his head into his hands. Finally, he looked up at the doctor and sighed. "So, what do we do now? How do we get him through this?" he asked softly.

"Well, we up the dosage of antibiotics and we keep him in complete isolation for right now…"

"What? Complete isolation? What does that mean?" John asked warily.

"It means no visitors I'm afraid. We'll move Sam to an isolation room so that he has a completely clean environment to recover in. We may also need to intubate him if his breathing worsens," Dr. Jungers explained.

"When?" John asked softly.

"Excuse me?" the doctor replied.

"When do you move him?" John said as he glanced up at the doctor.

"He's being moved as we speak."

John nodded and dropped his head to his hands again. Dr. Jungers watched the man for a few moments before turning and leaving the Winchesters to digest this new, terrifying turn of events.

"Dad?" Dean's scared voice sounded and John raised his head to glance over at his son. "Sammy's gonna be okay, right?"

John sat up and took Dean's hand in his, giving it a squeeze as he gazed into the teen's frightened green eyes. "I hope so, Dean…I hope so."

* * *

**So, don't say you didn't know it was coming. As soon as you ready 'possible chance of infection' you had to know what was going to happen! lol I'm evil...I admit it and I will not apologize for it! lol Please let me know what you think. Take care and love you all.**

**Cindy**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey everyone. Here's the next chapter for you. Thank you all for the wonderful comments, and also for the comments I received on my one-shot I posted. I didn't expect that kind of response. You all are truly wonderful. So, I'll let you get on with the story. **

**Cindy**

* * *

"What!? No…Dad, that can't be," Daniel cried, the pain he was in obvious to the others in the room though the teen seemed not to notice. There was only one thing of importance right now and it wasn't the throbbing in his head.

"I'm sorry, Danny…I didn't want you to have to deal with this right now," John said as he rubbed Daniel's arm comfortingly.

"You didn't want me to deal with it right now? He's my baby brother, Dad. I had a right to be told he was worse before now! Dammit!" Daniel shouted, the boy unable to hide the wince of pain this time, causing his father, brother and uncles much concern.

"Danny…calm down. You can't get yourself worked up," John commanded, his hand gripping his eldest son's arm almost painfully. "This is exactly why I didn't tell you right away."

Daniel looked up at his father, anger and fear still reflected in his tired eyes. He took a deep breath, then another as he continued to keep eye contact with John. "How long?" he finally asked once the lump in his throat had cleared and he could speak.

"How long for what?" Dean asked from his bed, the teen leaning over the railing so he could see his brother more clearly.

Daniel rolled his head on his pillow and glanced at Dean. "How long has Sammy been in isolation? How long has he been all alone?" he asked softly.

Dean bit at his bottom lip and glanced nervously up at his father. John nodded minutely then turned to Daniel. "Four days," he answered, his gaze taking in the widening of his eldest son's eyes.

"Four days? Oh my God…he's been alone for four days?" Daniel whispered brokenly.

"Not alone…not exactly. I've been outside his room watching him every day," John answered quickly as he took is son's hand into his.

"Outside his room? Can you talk to him that way, Dad? Can you touch him?" Daniel asked, his anger beginning to build again.

"Danny, I know it sucks and you have to know how much it kills me to not be in there with him, but you have to understand how fragile his health is right now. He can't afford to catch anything…not even a cold," John explained.

"Dad…he needs someone with him. There has to be a way. Please…there has to be a way!" Daniel begged, his wide eyes filling with tears.

Caleb and Joshua glanced at each other nervously as they listened to the heartbreaking plea from their young friend. They wished there was something they could do, but the doctor held all the cards on this one and John was going to do whatever the man said to make sure his baby survived. Caleb turned his attention to Daniel and took a step toward the bed.

"Danny…your daddy has done everything he could think of to get into that room. Believe me, if there was a way, he'd be in there," Caleb said softly.

"But…he's got to be so scared…"

"Danny…Sammy hasn't been awake," John said softly.

Daniel's eyes widened ever further as he glanced around the room. "Wh-what? He's…he's that sick? Oh my God…"

"No…they're keeping him under intentionally so his body can get all of the rest it needs. He doesn't know he's alone, kiddo," John replied.

Daniel looked up at his father and shook his head. "Yes he does, Dad. He knows."

* * *

"What do you mean he isn't getting any better? You've had him in isolation for four days! You've kept me from him and now you say it hasn't done any good?" John snapped as Sam's doctor stood before him, his eyes cast down to the floor.

"Maybe we should talk out in the hall," Dr. Jungers suggested as he glanced at the several sets of eyes that watched the exchange expectantly.

John glanced around then turned back to the doctor. "No…whatever you need to say, you say it here…now," he said.

Dr. Jungers nodded then glanced down at his clipboard. "Uh…the infection has gotten worse and Sam is getting weaker. His breathing is becoming more labored and I'm afraid we're going to have to intubate him if things don't turn around soon. I don't know what else to tell you. We've hit him with every possible treatment and nothing is working," the doctor explained sadly.

"You haven't done everything, doc," Dean called from his bed, his eyes never leaving the doctors face even when he felt the other's eyes glance his way.

Dr. Jungers stepped toward the bed, his head cocked in confusion. "What?" he asked.

"You've kept the most important medicine from him. He needs his family, Dr. Jungers. He needs to hear our voices…he needs to feel our touches," John said in reply, the man knowing exactly what his son was implying.

Dr. Jungers shook his head and glanced at the man. "Impossible. Sam is critically ill…"

"Any your treatment isn't working," Daniel said softly. "You don't know my little brother. He needs us. Please…please."

Dr. Jungers glanced around the room and shook his head again. "He's very fragile. I've explained all of this to you, John," he said as his eyes came to rest on John's face.

"You said he's getting worse. How much harm could allowing me in with him do? I'll do anything you need me to. I'll wear sterile, paper cover-ups from head to toe. I'll let you spray me down with antiseptic. Just let me in with my baby. Let me save him…please," John pleaded.

Dr. Jungers considered John's plea for a moment before finally nodding his head and giving the man a small smile. "Okay. I guess you know your son's needs better than I do. You'll have to go through a few procedures to make sure you aren't bringing anything in with you. It's not one hundred percent, but I'm at a loss as to what else I can do," the doctor said.

"Me too, doc. I want to see my brother too," Dean called as he raised the head of his bed higher so he could see more eye to eye with the tall man.

"Dean…you need to stay with Daniel…" John started.

"Johnny…Josh and I can stay with Danny," Caleb offered immediately.

Dean glanced over at his brother and sighed sadly. "No…Dad's right. It wouldn't be fair to leave Danny…"

"You should go if they let you, Dean. I…I can't, but you can and you know it'll help Sammy to hear your voice too. It's okay," Daniel said tiredly, though the others could see the disappointment on his face.

"Are you sure, Danny. I don't…"

"Sammy needs you more than I do right now, squirt. Just go if you can," Daniel said with a warm smile.

Dean smiled then turned back toward his father and the doctor. "Can I? Please…Sammy saved us and now it's time to save him."

Dr. Jungers watched Dean for a moment then smiled. "Well, at this point I'd say it can only help. It'll be up to your doctor on how long she'll allow you to sit up with your back injuries, but I won't keep you from your brother as long as she approves," the doctor said, his smile widening at the look on the teen's face.

"Thanks, doc. Thank you so much," Dean said with a relieved sigh.

* * *

"Danny…are you sure you're not upset that I'll get to sit with Sammy?" Dean asked as he gazed over at his silent brother.

Daniel rolled his head toward his brother and smiled weakly. "I'm upset, but not at you. Sammy needs you and Dad. I'm just upset that I can't help too. If I had listened to him when he wanted to get out of that cave…or even before we went in…he wouldn't be so sick. I feel like I'm failing him again," Daniel said in reply.

Dean sighed and shook his head as he watched his brother's miserable face. "It's not your fault. None of it. It's not anybody's fault. Not really. It was an earthquake. How could we have known?" he asked softly.

"Sammy knew and we didn't listen," Daniel said miserably.

"I know, but…do you think Sam would want us blaming ourselves? The kid blames himself for f***s sake! That's all we ever do…blame ourselves for crap we really have no control over. It was an earthquake. Yes, Sammy had a dream, but how were any of us to know it was more than that?" Dean asked, his eyes never leaving Daniel's face.

"I guess, but…I won't be able to help Sammy get better. I won't be helping him at all," Daniel cried softly as tears made their way down his pale face.

"Danny…you'll be helping him by getting better yourself. Dad said he was so worried about us. That's why he didn't tell anybody that he was hurt so badly. He was more worried for us than for himself. You just stay here and get better. That's how you help him," Dean said with a shrug.

"Man…that…that was deep. You get that sensitivity from Playboy or something?" Daniel asked with a small chuckle.

Dean cocked his head as he frowned. "Shut up, jerk. Geez, I'm trying to make you feel better and you go and be a big jerk. Last time I try to cheer you up, that's for sure," he said with a huff that was soon followed by a wide grin.

Both brothers turned toward the door when Caleb and Joshua stepped into the room followed closely by who they assumed was an orderly pushing a wheelchair.

"You ready to go, kiddo? This fine gentleman is here to take you to see Sammy," Joshua said as he strolled up to Dean's bed.

"Yeah…I'm ready. I was ready a long time ago," Dean said excitedly.

"Well, they thought your daddy should sit with Sam for awhile first before they brought you down," Caleb said as he moved to help the orderly get Dean moved from his bed to the wheelchair.

Finally, Dean was ready to go, the teen's heart pounding in his chest at the thought of seeing his little brother so ill. He didn't know what to expect when he saw Sam, wasn't sure how he would react. He wanted it so badly, but was terrified at the same time. His Sammy was supposed to be running around like a little hellion, asking a million questions, not lying in an isolation room in the ICU fighting for his life. Not after saving both he and Daniel's lives. Dean turned his head as he heard Daniel speaking to him. He reached up and took the hand that Daniel pushed through the railing on his bed and smiled.

"Yeah?" he asked as he gazed into his brother's eyes.

"Tell Sammy I love him. Tell him I'm okay and that he doesn't need to worry about me," Daniel said softly.

Dean squeezed Daniel's hand and nodded. "I will. I'll see you later. Get some sleep," he said in reply.

Daniel smiled and pulled his hand out of Dean's then back through the railing. He watched as Dean was rolled through the door, the teen rolling his head toward the window when his brother disappeared from sight. He felt a soft touch to his shoulder, but didn't turn to see who was touching him.

"Hey kiddo, don't worry. Everything will be okay, you'll see," Caleb said as he tried to console his young friend.

"'m tired, Caleb. I just want to take a nap," Daniel whispered, his sorrowful eyes closing as he effectively shut out his friends.

"Okay…you sleep. We'll be right here if you need us," Caleb said as he cast his worried gaze to Joshua.

Joshua shrugged his shoulders and pulled a chair up to the bed then took a seat as he watched Caleb do the same. The two hunters sat in silence, listening to the soft sobs coming from the teen on the bed, their hearts breaking all over again at the helplessness they felt. Finally, Daniel's cries stopped and his breathing evened out until it was obvious that he had fallen asleep. They looked at each other and each knew what the other was thinking. If Sam didn't survive this family they loved so much wouldn't either.

* * *

John stared at his youngest son and sighed as he brushed his fingers through the boy's hair for what was probably the hundredth time. His eyes trailed down the frail body and he had to press his hand to his mouth to hold in a sob. He hated the mask he had to wear, but it was worth it to be able to touch his boy, to talk to him. He was thankful that at least for now, Sam hadn't needed to be intubated, an oxygen mask supplying him with what he needed. He reached for Sam's limp hand and took it gently into his own, giving it a squeezed as he scooted his chair closer to the bed.

"Sammy…you gotta fight, kiddo. Your brothers…hell, me too…we're going crazy here," John said as his eyes gazed tiredly at his sleeping sons face. "They're doing good…you made sure of that. Now, it's time to help yourself."

John continued to hold his baby's hand and to speak to him about anything and everything…just to make sure his voice was heard, that his son knew he wasn't alone any longer. His dark eyes took on a faraway look as he remembered back to various times in Sam's young life, his lips curling into a fond smile as he continued to reminisce.

"You want to know when your brothers first decided that you belonged to them? When they first took it upon themselves to make sure that you were protected…always?" John asked softly as he tenderly caressed the back of Sam's hand with his thumb.

"It was when we first brought you home from the hospital. Daniel and Dean didn't quite know what to think of you, but then you reached up with your tiny fingers and grasped their fingers and they fell in love right then and there. I could see it in their eyes…you were theirs and nobody was ever going to hurt you. Not while they had anything to say about it," he continued, his eyes filling, the tears spilling down over his cheeks to dampen the mask over his nose and mouth.

John lowered his head and rested his forehead on his son's hot hand. He sat this way for several minutes before gazing back up into Sam's lax face.

"You have to fight this, Sammy. Your brothers need you. I need you. You're the only one who can do this now, kiddo. Please…I know how strong you are. I know you can do it," he pleaded, his eyes suddenly looking toward the door when it slid open and Dean was wheeled into the room, his green eyes meeting John's before moving to rest on his baby brothers face.

Dean was pushed closer to the bed by the orderly before the young man turned and left the family alone. Dean reached up and took Sam's small hand into his then lifted it to his lips and tenderly kissed the slender fingers.

"Oh God, Sammy…don't you leave us. Don't you dare leave us."

* * *

**That's it for now. I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you'll let me know what you thought. I will try my darndest to reply to your comments. Take care.**

**Cindy**


	12. Chapter 12

**Its update time! Finally. This chapter has quite a bit of medical stuff in it which always throws me a little. Before we get to the chapter, I want to thank you all for the wonderful comments. As always, you blow me away. I've been so busy so I hope you understand that I didn't have time to reply to all of them. I try, I really do. So, I guess I'll let you get to the chapter. Anyway, hope you like it.**

**Cindy**

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"I don't understand," Dr. Jungers murmured, the man standing beside Sam's bed, his dark eyes perusing the printouts he held in his hand.

"What is it, doc? Is Sammy getting worse?" Dean asked nervously, his hand gently squeezing the smaller one he held as his eyes trailed from John's worried face to the doctors.

Dr. Jungers looked up, his face unreadable. "What? Oh…no…quite the opposite actually," he said finally.

"What do you mean?" John said as he moved around the doctor to stand near Sam's head.

"I mean…Sam's vitals have improved. I can't explain it," the doctor replied.

Dean smiled, his gaze shifting to Sam's face before once again lifting to look at the doctor. "I think you know how to explain it," he said softly.

Dr. Jungers looked down at his young patient and smiled. "Yeah…I guess I do. Never seen anything quite like it though," he said. "Now, I want you to understand that Sam is still very ill. He has a long way to go, but things are looking up," he added quickly.

"We know, Dr. Jungers, but this is all that we need to know he's going to pull through. He's fighting now," John said, his dark eyes gazing down at Sam with great affection.

"He's a strong young man, that's for sure," Dr. Jungers said.

"So, how long before he can come out of isolation?" Dean asked. "How long until you'll let him wake up?"

"Well, if he continues to improve like this, I'll be able to bring him around very soon," the doctor replied. "As for isolation, maybe in a few days."

"That's great news, doc. Really great news," Dean said, his face lighting up as he grinned from ear to ear.

"Thanks, Dr. Jungers," John said as he brushed Sam's hair from his eyes.

"I only did part of it, this little guy did the rest. And you both," Dr. Jungers said, his head swiveling to look at the door as a sudden rap against the glass sounded.

John glanced over too and frowned when he saw Dr. Swenson standing outside the door motioning for him to come out.

"Dad?" Dean queried, his green eyes peering nervously through the glass door.

John looked at his middle son and shook his head. "I don't know, Dean. Keep an eye on your brother. I'll be right back," he said as he followed Dr. Jungers to the door.

John stepped through the door and let it close behind him, the man glancing through the glass at his sons before turning to Dr. Swenson. Dean watched for a moment trying to determine what was being said, but soon gave up and returned his attention to his baby brother. He gently squeezed Sam's hand and smiled.

"Hey, squirt…you're gonna be okay. You keep fighting and they'll let you wake up. We really need to see you awake, Sammy. Danny's nearly losing it not being able to see you, but his brains are still a bit scrambled so he can't get out of bed. Maybe if you keep getting better, you can go see him," Dean rambled, hoping the sound of his voice would force Sam out of his drug induced slumber, the teen too eager to see his brother awake to patiently wait for the doctor to reduce the sedative he was being given.

Dean glanced over toward the glass door as his father stood on the other side of the glass talking to he and Daniel's doctor. He was worried about why Dr. Swenson was here, but he was in this room for a reason. He was here to make sure Sam kept fighting. He was here to make sure Sam lived. As hard as it was, he'd let John handle whatever was happening outside of Sam's room and he would handle what was happening inside. He turned his attention back to his little brother and sighed.

"Come on, Sammy…you gotta wake up, little brother. I don't know how much more of this I can take," he whispered as his eyes filled with tears.

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Daniel groaned softly as he shifted on his bed, sparking the attention of the two sentinels who stood watch over him. The men flanked the bed and watched as the teen in the bed slowly came awake, another pain filled groan leaving his lips as he shifted his right leg.

"Uh…gah…mmm…"

"Danny…you okay?" Caleb queried as he reached down and gently grasped Daniel's arm.

Daniel gazed up at his friend and creased his brow. "Hurts," he whispered breathlessly.

"What hurts, kid?" Joshua asked, the large man moving to lower the railing on the side of the bed.

Daniel rolled his head and glanced up at Joshua. "M…my leg. Gah…it hurts, Josh," Daniel cried as he suddenly began to writhe on the bed.

Joshua reached out and pulled the blanket and sheet up from the foot of the bed. "Which leg, Danny?" he asked urgently.

"R-right…calf…" Daniel stammered, a fine sheen of sweat breaking out over his body.

Joshua reached down and gently began to run his hand over Daniel's deeply bruised calf, his eyebrows knitting together in worry as he gazed up at Caleb.

"His leg feels hot and it's a bit swollen," he said as he returned his attention to his young charge.

"I'll get the doc," Caleb said, the younger man rushing across the room and out the door.

"J-Josh…what's wrong," Daniel gasped, tears of pain and fear rolling down his cheeks.

"You're gonna be fine, kiddo. Don't worry about it," Joshua replied with a strained smile.

"Y'r lying," Daniel said, his pain filled eyes staring deeply into his friends.

"Lets just wait until the doctor checks you over," Joshua said, the man sighing in relief when the door swung open and Dr. Swenson rushed in, followed by a nurse then Caleb.

Dr. Swenson immediately moved beside Joshua and began to examine Daniel's leg. "Daniel, I want you to flex your right foot for me," she instructed. Daniel did as he was told, the teen wincing before letting his foot relax. "Does flexing make your calf hurt worse?" she asked, the doctor frowning when Daniel nodded his head. She glanced up, a worried look on her pretty face. She pulled the nurse aside and whispered some instructions before moving back to the side of Daniel's bed. The nurse hurried from the room while Dr. Swenson smiled reassuringly down at her young patient.

"Daniel, I'm going to do an ultrasound of your leg to see what's going on. It won't hurt a bit so I just want you to relax as much as you can, okay?" the doctor said softly.

"Hurts," Daniel cried softly as he dug his fingers into the blanket that covered most of him.

"I know it does, sweetie, but I really need you to keep as still as possible," Dr. Swenson said as calmly as she could.

The door to the room suddenly swung open and the nurse returned pushing a small cart with a machine on top of it. She rolled it up next to Dr. Swenson and flipped open a monitor on the top of the machine. She turned the machine on after plugging it in and handed the doctor a small device attached to a cord that in turn was attached to the machine. Dr. Swenson lightly ran the device over the affected area of Daniel's calf while watching the monitor, her eyes narrowing as she noted the changing colors on the screen. After a few minutes, she pulled the device away from Daniel's leg and handed it to the nurse. She turned her attention to Daniel and smiled slightly.

"Daniel, I need to go talk to your father for a few minutes, but I'll be back real soon," Dr. Swenson said.

"Doc, what's wrong with him?" Caleb asked from the other side of the bed, his eyes filled with concern as he waited for an answer.

"I really should talk to his father first," Dr. Swenson replied.

"Please…tell me what's wrong with me," Daniel gasped, the teen in obvious pain.

Dr. Swenson sighed as she gazed down at Daniel. "Very well," she said finally. "You've developed a DVT in your calf and…"

"A DVT? Uh…what's that?" Caleb asked with confusion.

"Deep vein thrombosis. It's a blood clot that's formed in the major vein in his leg," Dr. Swenson explained.

"Sh*t…how bad?" Joshua asked, his eyes staring intently at the doctor.

"So far, it's holding, but it could break free at any time and that wouldn't be good," Dr. Swenson said.

"What do you do to fix it?" Caleb asked warily.

"I'll explain everything as soon as I talk to Daniel's father. We need to get moving on this so we can get it taken care of before it becomes a problem," the doctor replied.

"C-could I die?" Daniel asked softly, his eyes filled with fear.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Daniel. You just keep still and I'll get you all fixed up," Dr. Swenson said before turning and leaving the room, the doctor instructing the nurse to stay with Daniel until she returned.

Joshua and Caleb both stared down at their young friend with deep concern as he squeezed his eyes shut against the obvious pain he was in. Caleb took his hand and glanced up at Joshua before returning his gaze to Daniel.

"It's gonna be okay, Danny. Everything's gonna be okay," Caleb said uneasily.

Daniel opened his eyes and gazed up at his friend, the tears streaming down his face breaking Caleb's heart. "I don't want to die, Caleb. Dean and Sammy need me…I don't want to die," the teen whispered brokenly.

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"What does that mean? What could happen if the blood clot breaks free?" John asked fearfully.

"If it breaks free, it will travel through his bloodstream to his lung and cause a pulmonary embolism," Dr. Swenson answered.

"So…then what?" John asked as he cast his gaze through the glass door and watched his two sons before returning his attention to the doctor.

"A pulmonary embolism can cause severe difficulty in breathing and…and even death," the doctor said softly.

John staggered slightly at that, his knees nearly giving out at the doctor's words. "My boy could die?" he asked shakily.

"Lets not get ahead of ourselves here. There are things we can do to keep the clot from breaking free," Dr. Swenson explained.

"Like what?" John asked.

"The normal treatment is administering anticoagulation medication, or blood thinners, but…"

"Then lets get started," John interrupted.

"John, first of all we have to make sure that giving Daniel blood thinners won't cause other problems," Dr. Swenson said.

"Problems?" John asked nervously.

"Daniel sustained a severe concussion. There could be small bleeds in his brain that we missed in his first scan and if we give him blood thinners, it could make these small bleeds more serious," the doctor explained.

"God…what else is going to happen to my boys?" John cried softly, his dark eyes once more moving to look through the glass and meeting his middle son's worried green ones.

Dr. Swenson reached out and grasped John's arm and waited until the man was looking at her before she continued. "John, I don't think we're going to find any bleeds. The way Daniel has improved indicates that there aren't any, but we have to be sure before we start treating the blood clot," she said.

John took a deep breath and blew it out slowly while brushing his hand over his face. Finally, he glanced up at the doctor and spoke. "Okay…so, what will the treatment be if everything is okay with his brain?"

Dr. Swenson smiled and took a step back. "First, we'll give him heparin injections. This will begin to immediately thin his blood. We'll also start him on warfarin. This is an oral treatment. You might recognize it better by the brand Coumadin. This process takes a few days to become effective, but is quite effective. We'll perform blood tests called INR's to measure how the heparin and warfarin treatments are working. Once the INR reaches the appropriate levels, the heparin injections will be discontinued."

"Okay…so, injections and pills. We can do that," John said, the man relaxing ever so slightly. "Can you tell me what would have caused this? I mean…I know he's been laid up, but he's been moving around the past few days."

"Lack of movement is only one cause of DVT. Damage to the inside of blood vessels due to trauma can also cause them. Daniel's legs being buried and deeply bruised by those rocks is the likely culprit," the doctor explained.

John nodded as he absorbed everything he'd been told. "When will you do the scan?" he asked.

"They're preparing the machine as we speak. We should know in an hour or so how to proceed," Dr. Swenson answered.

"So, if we can't do the blood thinners, what do we do?" John asked warily.

"Let's just get through the scan and then we'll discuss our options if, and only if, we need to," the doctor answered.

John nodded and watched as Dr. Swenson turned and walked away. He reached for the door handle and took a deep breath before opening the door and stepping into his youngest son's room. Dean looked around expectantly, the teen watching as his father slowly made his way to Sam's bed. He swallowed deeply at the look on John's face.

"Dad?" he asked shakily.

"Dean…it's Danny," John said.

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**So, semi-cliffy. Not full fledged cliffy. Please, let me know what you think. **

**Cindy**


	13. Chapter 13

**Love you guys. Love you...love you...love you! You sure know how to make a nervous girl feel much better. I won't bore you with anymore blab, blab, blab. You're here for the story and here it is!!**

**Cindy**

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"Dad, I'll stay here with Sammy. You should be up with Danny," Dean said, the teen reeling after what he'd been told. Daniel had a blood clot. One that could kill him if it broke free and moved to his lungs.

"No…Dean, you need to get back to your bed and Sam can't be left alone. Caleb and Josh will have to go with Danny," John said as he brushed a shaky hand over his face, his voice filled with exhaustion.

"I'm fine, Dad. My back feels much better and my leg barely aches now. I want to stay with Sammy. He'll be waking up soon and I want to be the first one he sees when he does. Danny needs you, Dad…not Caleb or Josh," Dean said, his green eyes staring pleadingly up at his father.

John gazed down at his son and though he knew Dean should be in bed, he also knew the kid was right. Caleb and Joshua had been a godsend, but it should be he who was waiting for Daniel when he came out of his scan. Sam deserved to have someone with him too and only Dean and himself had been cleared to enter the boy's isolation room. Finally, John nodded as he reached down and squeezed Dean's shoulder.

"Okay. You stay here until Danny's done with his scan. After that, I'll come up and take your place and you will go get some rest," John said, the man holding up his hand when Dean began to protest. "No arguments, Dean," he said softly.

Dean dropped his head before finally nodding his head. "Fine," he whispered, his gaze drifting up to peer at Sam's face. He reached up and took Sam's hand then looked up at his father. "You better go, Dad. I'll be fine," he said tiredly.

John sighed as he moved around the side of Sam's bed. He reached down and brushed a strand of hair from Sam's face before leaning over and planting a tender kiss on his forehead. He stood and glanced over at Dean, nodded then headed for the door. Dean watched as he left then turned his attention back to his baby brother.

"Sammy, you need to wake up now. You've had enough beauty sleep and I am really tired of sitting here talking to myself," Dean said, his thumb gently caressing the back of Sam's hand. "Please, Sammy."

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John stood silently outside the imaging room, the man leant up against the wall, his hands clasping nervously as he awaited news on his eldest son. Daniel had been in getting his scan for half an hour now and John was minutes away from losing it. He had two boys who had come so close to death and who still weren't out of the woods yet, and one son who was seriously injured and trying to hold it all together even though he was obviously hurting more than he was letting on. Kid always tried to take too much onto his shoulders and John felt so guilty about it. Daniel was the same way and neither one of his sons should have to feel so responsible for everything. Sam was well on his way to following in his brother's footsteps and it was all John could do to keep his sanity sometimes.

John pushed away from the wall and began to pace outside the door where his son had been taken. If they didn't come out soon, he was prepared to burst in there and see what the hell was taking so long. He took a step toward the door, but halted when suddenly it opened and Dr. Swenson stepped through. She smiled when she saw John's expectant eyes staring at her.

"How is he? How's my boy?" John sputtered as he reached out and grasped the doctor's arms without thinking. He pulled his hands away and backed up quickly. "I-I'm sorry…I just…"

"It's okay, Mr. Winchester. Don't worry about it," Dr. Swenson said.

"Is Danny okay? Is he…is…"

"Danny is fine. His scan came out clear…no bleeds. As soon as we get him back to his room I'll give him his first injection of heparin and as soon as he wakes up, he'll get his first dose of Coumadin," the doctor explained.

"Oh God…thank you so much. How long before he wakes up?" John asked, the relief apparent on his smiling face.

"It shouldn't be too long. We lightly sedated him for the scan and too keep him still to reduce the chance of the clot breaking free," Dr. Swenson said.

John nodded, his eyes moving to the door behind the doctor when it opened and Daniel's bed was pushed through. He immediately moved to the side of the bed and took his son's hand as the bed was rolled down the hall. He continued to hold Daniel's hand until they arrived at the boy's room and he had to let go to allow the orderlies to push the bed into the room and resituate it. Once Daniel was settled and the orderlies had left, John took his place next to the bed and smiled tiredly over at his friends who had been waiting in the room for them to return.

"How's he doing, Johnny?" Joshua asked, the tall man peering down at the sleeping teenager before moving his gaze to his friend.

"His head scan came back clean. They've started him on the injections of blood thinners. As soon as he wakes up, he'll get the oral ones," John said tiredly as he rested his body against the bed and ran his fingers through his son's hair.

"That's good news. Really good news," Caleb said with a small smile.

"Yeah. It's about time," John replied.

"Wait…I thought Sammy was getting better. Did something happen?" Joshua asked nervously.

"No…no, he's improving, but he still hasn't woken up. Dr. Jungers said that even though he's improving, he's still not out of the woods quite yet," John said softly.

"Johnny…he's fighting. He'll be fine," Caleb said, the younger man moving to stand next to his friend.

John looked up at Caleb and smiled appreciatively. "Yeah…you're right. I'm just tired," he said.

"John, why don't you go to the motel and get some rest. We'll be here and…" Joshua started.

"No…I have to go up and take over for Dean. He needs to get some rest and I'm not going to leave Sammy alone," John said. "One of you will stay with the boys won't you?"

"Of course, Johnny. We both will…you know that," Caleb said as he clasped the tired man's shoulder.

"Thanks. I really don't know what I'd do without you guys," John said.

"Hey, that's what family's for," Caleb said.

"Yeah…family," John murmured, his dark eyes moving to rest on his sleeping son's face.

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Dean, despite his best efforts was finding it hard to keep his eyes open. He still held Sam's hand, still had his wheelchair pushed up as close to the bed as it could possibly get. His eyes had never strayed from his brother's face, but now exhaustion was getting the better of him and it took all of his remaining energy just to stay awake. Finally, he began to lose the battle and his eyes fell shut. Within minutes, his hand relaxed around Sam's and then fell away altogether. It wasn't until a soft voice penetrated his sleep that his green eyes fluttered open and he looked up to find the soft hazel eyes of his baby brother looking at him. He sat up quickly, the teen holding in a wince as the movement pulled on his sore back muscles.

"Sammy…hey, welcome back, kiddo," Dean said as he took Sam's hand and gave it a gently squeeze.

"D'n?" Sam whispered, the boy giving a weak squeeze to Dean's hand in return.

"God, Sam…it's so good to see you awake," Dean said, his eyes misting up as he watched Sam's eyes blink tiredly.

"Mmmmm…wh…"

"You're in the hospital. Remember the earthquake?" Dean said as he reached up to card his fingers through Sam's messy hair.

"Unnnn…I…mmmm…" Sam murmured, the boy unable to form any words as he attempted to keep his eyes open.

Dean let go of Sam's hand for a moment and rolled his chair up closer to Sam's head then immediately took his hand again. He smiled warmly and once again began to card his other hand through his brother's hair, knowing how the motion always calmed the boy.

"Shhhhh…you don't need to talk, Sammy," Dean said softly. "You're going to be okay. You broke some ribs and one of 'em punctured your lung. You gave us all quite a scare, but you're doing better now."

Sam nodded then moved his upper body in an attempt to get more comfortable, but a sudden pain caused the boy to wince. He squeezed his eyes shut as the pain radiated from his shoulder and down his arm and across his upper back.

"Sammy…keep still. You have a separated shoulder and a wicked claw mark on your back. You really got yourself worked over, kiddo," Dean said as he helplessly watched his brother breathe through the pain.

"'m 'kay," Sam panted, his hazel eyes cracking open to stare at his brother.

Dean smiled as he gave Sam's hand a gentle squeeze. "You're one tough cookie, Sam. I can't believe what you did as injured as you were. Don't ever do it again," he said softly.

"Had to," Sam whispered breathlessly.

"No, Sam. You almost died. We nearly lost you," Dean said, his voice filled with emotion.

"Die for you," Sam breathed out.

"Not your job, kiddo. That's not your job," Dean said as a tear managed to spill over from his eye and trail down his cheek.

"'s too," Sam said, his eyes slipping shut before Dean could say another word.

Dean watched his brother for several long moments, his heart pounding furiously in his chest at Sam's answer. It terrified him that someday Sam may put himself in danger again for his family. He prayed that there would never be such a need. Dean reached up and absently swiped another tear from his cheek. He watched as Sam fell deeper into sleep, the teen relaxing back into his wheelchair as the muscles in his back made it known that they needed rest. He was too tired to even turn around when he heard the door to Sam's room open and the soft shuffle of covered shoes travel across the floor. He looked up when a hand fell upon his shoulder and smiled when he saw his father gaze down at him.

"Hey, kiddo. You look like you're about to pass out. You okay?" John asked lightly.

"I'm fine, Dad. Not tired," Dean answered, his eyes and voice betraying what he had said. "Is Danny okay?"

"Danny's fine. No bleeds. They've started him on blood thinners so hopefully that will do the trick," John replied. "Now, its time for you to get back to your room and get some sleep."

"I want to stay, Dad. Sammy was just awake and he may wake up again soon," Dean said, his green eyes pleading with his father to let him stay.

"No, Dean. We had a deal. You aren't gonna do either of your brothers any good if you get sick from exhaustion. Caleb and an orderly are waiting out in the hall to take you back. I'll be right here if Sam wakes up," John said hoarsely.

Dean lowered his eyes from his father's face and turned his gaze onto his brother. "Sammy…I gotta go now. Dad's gonna take over, though I think you'd rather wake up to my handsome face," he said softly.

"You may want to take a look in a mirror, Dean," John said with a light chuckle.

"Even on my worse day I'm better looking than you, old man," Dean said tiredly.

"Dream on, kid," John said as he took a hold of the handles of the wheelchair and rolled Dean toward the door.

John took Dean through the door to Sam's room then across the small room where they had to put on their paper coveralls and masks. Dean had been allowed to only have a paper sheet draped over him so it was easy to remove before he was pushed through another door into the hallway where Caleb and the orderly awaited him.

"Hey, Ace…how ya doin'?" Caleb called as John rolled the sleepy teen toward him.

"'m okay," Dean murmured in response.

"Yeah, right. You look like you're about to keel over, kid," Caleb said.

"Not tired," Dean said even as his eyes began to droop dramatically.

"Uh huh…lets go, perky one," Caleb said with a chuckle.

Caleb took the wheelchair from John and waited while John knelt down next to the chair and spoke with his son.

"Dean, don't worry. I'll be with Sammy. He won't wake up alone, I promise," John said.

"You better get back then, Dad," Dean said softly. "You're gonna have to change your paper suit again."

John looked down and rolled his eyes. He'd forgotten that if he came out into the hall, he'd have to remove the paper clothes he'd just put on and replace them with new ones.

"Yeah, I better get back in there. You get some rest, son," John said.

John stood and gave Caleb a nod before he turned and moved back toward Sam's isolation room. He glanced down the hall and waited until he couldn't see Dean or Caleb anymore before he pushed through the door and began to change. He made quick work of changing then hurried into Sam's room. John stepped up to Sam's bed and smiled down at his baby boy. Some color had returned to Sam's face and for the first time since they'd arrived at the hospital, he allowed himself to believe that they'd all walk out together, banged up, but alive.

John pulled his chair up to the bed and wearily sat down. He reached up and straightened the covers over his baby then leaned back in his chair. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and rested his chin in his hands, his eyes never leaving Sam's face. All he wanted to do was sleep, but he had to watch over his baby. He'd promised and we wasn't about to break that promise. He owed his boys so much and it was high time he began to pay his debt.

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**So, that's it for now. Please let me know what you thought. Have I ever told you all that I love you? Well, if I haven't let me say it now. I....LOVE...YOU!!**

**Cindy**


	14. Chapter 14

**I'M SORRY! I've been sooooo busy and this chapter gave me all kinds of trouble for some reason. Thanks for all of the wonderful comments. You guys keep me going, no doubt about it. I've had a few moments when I've wondered why the heck am I doing this, but then I ready your reviews and all thoughts of quitting leave. So, I'll let you get onto the story.**

**Cindy**

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"Mr. Winchester…did you hear me?" Dr. Jungers said again, his hand coming to rest upon John's weary shoulder causing the hunter to flinch. The doctor had been attempting to get John's attention, but the man seemed to be in another world, his dark eyes locked on his son's sleeping face.

"Wh-what?" John cried softly as he jerked his eyes up to the concerned doctor's face.

"Mr. Winchester, you're about ready to pass out. You need to go get some sleep," Dr. Jungers suggested evenly.

"No. Gotta stay with Sammy," John gruffly replied.

"I'm concerned that you're wearing yourself too thin. You're going to make yourself sick…"

"I understand, but I can't leave. I promised Dean I'd stay with his little brother. Can't let Sam wake up alone," John said. "I've broken way too many promises, but no more."

"Mr. Winchester…"

"You were telling me something about Sam. What is it?" John interrupted, his tired eyes moving back to his baby's face.

"Yeah…okay," Dr. Jungers said as he eyed the father critically. "So, Sam's vitals are looking better. I'm going to lower his dose of sedative so he can wake up for longer periods," the doctor continued.

"That's great, doc. Really great," John said as he reached for Sam's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Dr. Jungers smiled as he moved to the other side of the bed and adjusted the oxygen levels being pumped through Sam's nasal canula, the cumbersome oxygen mask having been removed at some point without John even realizing it. "I'm hoping to move Sam out of isolation tomorrow and into his own room. He'll still be in the ICU, but he'll be allowed unlimited visitors," the doctor said.

John gazed appreciatively up at the doctor and smiled. "Thank you for everything you've done. I…I don't what I'd have done if I'd lost him. My entire family would be devastated without him," he said hoarsely.

"No need to thank me, Mr. Winchester. I…"

"Please…just call me John," John said.

Dr. Jungers nodded as he watched his patient's father intently. "Okay…John it is then. I'm just doing my job. You and your family are the ones who made the difference here. Sam…well, the kid is amazing. Your entire family is quite amazing I might add," he said.

"We just love each other. We're all we've got…and this kid?" John said tiredly as he glanced at Sam. "He's the glue that holds us all together. He's our heart and soul."

Dr. Jungers smiled down at his sleeping patient and though he hadn't had any opportunity to speak to the boy, the sheer amount of love showered upon him told the doctor that the man before him was not in the least bit exaggerating. This boy was special, that much was not in question. He'd saved his brother's lives without the least bit of concern for his own safety. He'd ignored injuries that had to have been agonizingly painful, and yet he'd trudged through that forest searching for help and then had led that help back to his brothers. Dr. Jungers had heard the whole story and at first hadn't really believed it. How could a young boy accomplish what this boy had? The doctor had his answer though every time he witnessed how much the child was loved. If he was loved this deeply then surely he loved as deeply back and love could help a person perform amazing feats.

Dr. Jungers moved to John's side and once again placed his hand upon his shoulder. "I can see how special he is, John. I know how much Sam must love all of you too. That's why I know he wouldn't want you to make yourself sick by not taking care of yourself," the doctor said softly.

John glanced up and shook his head. "Are we back to this again?" he asked wearily. "I can't leave him. I won't leave him."

"And I'm not asking you to, John. I'm just asking that you take care of yourself as much as you do your sons. They need you," Dr. Jungers said. "I'll have a more comfortable chair brought in that you can sleep in and not leave Sam. You'll be right here and if he wakes up and you're asleep, do you really think he'll be upset?"

John looked up at the doctor then back to his son. "No…he wouldn't be," he said with a warm smile.

"I'll get someone to bring that chair in right away and maybe a tray of food?" Dr. Jungers said.

John glanced up and shrugged. "I guess I could eat something," he finally said.

"Good. I'm going to go make my rounds. I'll be back in a bit to check on Sam."

"Thanks, doc," John said before turning his attention back to Sam.

Dr. Jungers nodded then turned and silently left the room. John glanced over his shoulder before looking back at Sam. He scooted his chair closer to the bed and rested his elbows on the mattress before cradling his chin his hands. He sat this way for a few minutes before he turned his head and rested his cheek in one hand then reached out with the other and gently caressed Sam's cheek.

"Even unconscious you got everyone wrapped around your little finger, kiddo," John said affectionately, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

A few minutes later the door opened and an orderly rolled a reclining, padded chair into the room. He nodded as John stood and moved the chair he'd been sitting on back so the new chair could be moved into its place. "Thanks," John said softly as he let his exhausted body sink into the chair.

"No problem," the orderly said as he moved the other chair next to the wall. The young man glanced over at Sam and smiled. "I hear he's a pretty tough kid…your son," he said as John glanced up at him.

John nodded and turned his dark eyes back onto his son. "You have no idea," he whispered.

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"Danny…Danny, wake up," Dean whispered as he lightly tapped on Daniel's cheek. "Come on…I don't have anyone to talk to here. Just the old geezers," he continued.

"Hey…don't think just 'cause you're in that wheelchair I won't smack you, brat!" Joshua cried, the man feigning indignation at Dean's words.

Dean turned his head and gave the hunter a smirk. "You're what…Dad's age?" he queried, one eyebrow cocked.

"There abouts," Joshua answered as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Like I said…geezer," Dean said with a grin.

Joshua glared over at Caleb when the younger man began to cackle. "I may not be able to hit the brat, but I can beat the sh*t out of you," he warned evenly.

"So, you think your old geezer legs can catch me?" Caleb quipped, the younger hunter jumping up when Joshua made a move toward him.

""s a little hard t' sleep with all the noise," a low, slurred voice said drawing all three hunters attention to the teen lying in the bed.

"Danny! You're awake!" Dean exclaimed as he took his brothers hand.

"Kinda hard not to be," Daniel rasped as his tired eyes lifted to his brother's face. "Shouldn't you be in bed?" he asked, those same eyes now filled with concern.

"Just woke up a bit ago. The old man kicked me outa' Sammy's room…"

"Is he okay? Is Sammy okay?" Daniel interrupted, the mention of his baby brother's name casting all the cobwebs from his brain away.

Dean nodded and gave his brother a small smile. "He's doing better. The doctor said he could be getting out of isolation soon," he answered.

Daniel smiled and relaxed back against his pillows. "That's good," he whispered. "Dad with him now?"

"Yeah. He's sitting with him until I can go back up," Dean said, the teen immediately regretting his words when he saw the look on Daniel's face. "'m sorry, Danny…I…"

"It's okay, Dean. I just really want to see the kid. See with my own eyes that he's okay," Daniel said sadly.

"Hey," Caleb said as he stepped up to the bed. "You'll see him soon enough. You just focus on getting better yourself," he continued.

Daniel glanced up and nodded. "I know, Caleb. I just miss him. He's so…so…" he said, his voice cracking as his eyes misted over.

"Yeah…I know. He's going to fine, Danny," Dean said as he gave his brother's hand a squeeze. "Don't you even want to know how you're doing?" he asked.

Daniel lifted his head and glanced down at his elevated leg. "Doesn't hurt as bad and I don't feel like I have a hole in my head, so I'm guessing my brain isn't leaking?" he said with a quick grin.

"Yep. No bleeds so they have you on blood thinners," Joshua said as he too finally made his way to the side of the bed.

"You need to keep still though. The doctor says the clot seems to be shrinking…slowly, but it could still cause problems if it breaks free," Caleb said.

"So, I'm still stuck in this bed huh? Did she say for how long?" Daniel queried.

"As long as it takes I guess," Dean said in reply.

"So, it could be days before I can see Sammy? That's great," Daniel said as he turned his head on his pillow and glanced out the window.

"Danny…it might not be that long," Dean said, feeling his brother's pain, the teen knowing exactly how he felt.

"It's already been too long," Daniel muttered miserably.

"I know. I get it…I really do, but you need to concentrate on yourself right now," Dean said.

Daniel rolled his head back and smiled at his brother. "'m sorry. I'm just tired," he said softly.

"Why don't you go back to sleep then. We'll be right here," Caleb said.

Daniel glanced up at his friend and nodded. "You'll wake me if there's any news about Sammy?" he asked.

"You bet we will. Now get to sleep," Joshua said.

"'kay," Daniel whispered as he closed his eyes.

It didn't take more than a few minutes before Daniel's breathing had evened out and he was softly snoring. Dean let his brother's hand go and leaned back in his chair, the teen trying to hide the wince the movement pulled from him and failing miserably.

"Okay, brat…back to bed for you too," Joshua said as he grasped the handles on Dean's wheelchair and began to roll it toward the teens bed.

"What! Why?" Dean cried as he turned to look over his shoulder at his friend.

"Because…you didn't sleep for very long and your daddy will skin us alive if you don't get some more rest," Joshua answered.

"I'm not tired. I want to sit with Danny!" Dean snapped.

"Nope…you're going to bed," Joshua said.

"But…"

"No buts. Now, let me help you into bed," Joshua said.

"I can get into bed myself…"

"No…we're not taking any chance of you hurting yourself," Caleb said as he moved to help get Dean into bed.

Between both men, Dean was finally situated in his bed, the covers pulled up over him. He glared at the hunters, not amused in the least at their chuckles. "You guys suck," he mumbled softly.

"No…we are awesome and don't you forget it!" Caleb exclaimed with a grin.

Though he fought it, Dean was asleep in less than fifteen minutes and both men settled in to once again watch over their two charges. They looked at each other and shook their heads.

"Damn Winchesters," Joshua muttered as he stretched out as best he could and closed his eyes.

Caleb shook his head again as he watched his friend. "No, that's okay. I'll keep watch while you sleep," he said sarcastically, his eyes narrowed on his friend.

Joshua cracked one eye open and glanced at the younger man. "Great…thanks, man," he said with a chuckle before closing his eyes again.

Soon, the room was filled with the snores of three hunters, leaving Caleb on his own to watch over them all.

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_He ran through the forest, his panicked eyes searching the darkness for his loved ones even as the ground shook violently beneath his feet. He stopped and frantically scanned the trees for any sign of his boys. He knew Caleb and Joshua were looking too, but it brought him little comfort. He was being punished, that much was apparent. His boys were being taken from him because he didn't deserve them. The one thing he knew above everything else was that if he lost his boys, he'd die himself._

_He began running again, stumbling over tree roots and tangled undergrowth. Tears streamed down his cheeks as his hope began to drain from him. The sound of crows calling to each other filled his ears, even above the deafening din of the quake. That was not a good sign. Crows meant death was near, but death for whom. _

'_Please, God…don't take my boys,' he silently prayed a hes continued running. 'Take me…please…take me.'_

_He broke through the tree line into an open meadow and sucked in a shocked breath when on the other side of the meadow he saw his boys running his way, the shaking of the ground trying to knock them off their feet, but determination alone keeping them upright. Suddenly, the ground stopped trembling and silence settled over the forest._

"_Dad!" one boy shouted as the three brothers stopped in the middle of meadow, watching as their father ran toward them._

_He smiled with relief, tears of joy now flowing down his cheeks. His boys, his very life stood waiting before him and he couldn't get to them fast enough. Without warning, the ground gave the most violent shake yet knocking him to the ground. He heard his sons cry out at the same time he heard a terrible cracking sound. He shot his frantic eyes toward his sons as he regained his feet, his eyes going wide as the earth beneath his boys feet suddenly opened up leaving them no foothold. The three disappeared and his heart stopped as he screamed out._

"_NOOOOOOOOOO!"_

_He ran, faster than he'd ever run before and came to the edge of the deep chasm, but his boys were gone. They were just…gone. He dropped to his knees, his sobs tearing from his throat as he dug his fingers into the ground._

"_Dad…help me…"_

_He stopped, not sure if he heard it or not, but then…_

"_Dad…I can't hold on…"_

_He scrambled to the edge and looked over. Sammy. His baby hung suspended above the chasm, his fingers grasping tightly to a tangled rope of weeds. His wide, hazel eyes gazed up, pleading for his father to save him. _

"_Hold on, Sammy…I'm gonna get you out of there," he said as he flattened out onto his stomach and threw his arms over the edge, hand reaching desperately for his baby boy._

"_Dad…where's Dean and Danny?" Sam cried, tears cutting trails through the dirt on his cheeks._

_He swallowed then. His boys were gone. Just Sam remained. "They're gone, Sammy…they're gone," he said, his voice sad and defeated._

"_No…no…" Sam said, the boy slipping slightly as his fingers loosened around the weeds._

"_No, Sammy…hold on…hold on!" he screamed down, his hands just wrapping around Sam's wrists before the boy fell._

"_Dad…don't let me fall…"_

"_Never," he said as he began to pull his son to the surface._

_To his horror, his son began to slip from his grasp despite his best efforts to hold on for dear life. Sam's eyes widened in fear when he realized he was slipping. He clutched at his fathers hands, but continued to slip._

"_Sammy! Hang on…hang on!" John shouted, his neck bulging with the effort to pull his son to safety._

"_I can't! I can't hold on, Dad! Help me! Don't let me fall!"_

"_You have to! Sammy…"_

_And then, Sam slipped from his grasp, his eyes accusing as he fell into the abyss, his father's hands reaching desperately for him._

"_Daaaaaaad!"_

"_Sammy! NOOOOOOOO!"_

John sprang from his chair, his son's name on his lips, eyes flitting frantically around the room, the man not in the hospital room that housed his son, but in that meadow where all of his boys had been lost. His ears picked up a faint voice, barely above a whisper and he took a deep breath to steady his racing heart.

"D'd?"

There, he heard it again. He turned his eyes in the direction of the voice and nearly collapsed with relief when he saw his baby boy lying in his hospital bed staring nervously up at him.

"S-Sammy?" John whispered as he began to reach for his son.

"You 'kay?" Sam asked softly, his voice raspy from disuse.

"I…I…" Suddenly, dizziness washed over John and he had to grab the bed railing to keep from falling. He squeezed his eyes shut against the vertigo. He felt a soft touch to his hand and carefully cracked his eyes open to find his youngest son's hand resting on his.

"Dad…"

John smiled and lifted his hand, his intent to take his son's hand. Dizziness washed over him again and he turned toward the small table next to Sam's bed and reached for the call button that had been placed there. Suddenly, his eyes rolled up into his head and he fell forward, his forehead making contact with the table, the man unconscious before he ever hit the floor. Sam cried out in horror and rolled his body toward the side of his bed, the boy screaming in pain as the movement pulled at the tubes that still protruded from his body. He took a deep breath and forced himself to forget the pain then moved closer to the edge of his bed, his eyes finally finding his father.

"Dad! Dad! Help me! Help me!" Sam screamed over and over as his terrified eyes watched the still and lifeless body of his father lying on the floor, a steadily growing pool of blood forming beneath his head.

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**So, I hope you didn't think that evil Cindy had taken a permanent vacation, 'cause...SHE'S BACK! Hehehehehehehe! Please let me know what you think.**

**Cindy**


	15. Chapter 15

**I'm back! Here's the next chapter for you all. I hope you enjoy.**

**Cindy**

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"HELP ME! PLEASE…HELP ME!" Sam screamed frantically as he attempted to reach for the call button that happened to be just out of his reach. His hazel eyes moved back to his father who lay, completely still, on the floor. Tears blurred his vision as he scooted impossibly closer to the railing on his bed, the pain that lanced through his body ignored as he begged his father to wake up…as he continued to scream for somebody…anybody to help.

Sam jerked his eyes to the door when it burst open and several people in medical garb rushed into the room. "Help him…please. Help my dad!" he cried, the boy jerking away as half of the medical personnel made their way to his bedside.

"No! Not me! Help him…please…help him," Sam pleaded as he fought against the hands that tried to pull him back from the edge of the bed, his small hands wrapping around the railing and holding on, his eyes glued to his father as the others crowded around the unconscious man.

"Sam! They're helping him…stop fighting!" the male nurse who tried to pull him away from the railing shouted.

"No…no…" Sam cried as his view of his father was cut off. "Help him…" he whispered, tears streaming down his face.

"Sam…you're tearing out your tubes. You're hurting yourself," the nurse pleaded as he gently, yet firmly finally managed to pull Sam away from the railing.

Sam's red, wet eyes turned to the nurse and sighed. "You have to help my daddy," he whispered, the boy sounding all of five years old. The nurse smiled as he and two others tended to Sam's various wires and tubes.

"Your dad is going to be fine, Sam. He's being helped," the nurse said softly, his eyes narrowing in concern at the sound of Sam's wheezing breaths.

"Is he alive?" Sam asked, his voice cracking and his chest heaving as he tried to pull in breaths.

One of the other nurses glanced down at the activity on the floor before calling out to one of the medics working on John. "How's he doing? The kid's about ready to hyperventilate."

"He's breathing. Got a hard knock on the head and he's bleeding pretty bad, but his eyes look good," one man called without looking up.

The nurse nodded and turned to Sam. "Hey, honey…did you hear that? Your daddy is going to be okay. He's just taking a little rest," she said reassuringly.

Sam glanced up at the woman and shook his head. "Not resting…unconscious. There's a difference and 'm not too young or stupid to know it," he said with no venom as he finally collapsed against the mattress and allowed himself to be examined.

The nurse gave his hand a gentle squeeze as she smiled down at him. "No, you're not are you? In fact, I'd say you're pretty darned smart," she said as she reinserted the IV that had been pulled out of his hand.

The door to the room suddenly opened and Dr. Jungers rushed in and immediately went to Sam's bed. "What the hell happened in here?" he shot as he began to examine his young patient, leaving the other medics to continue their work on John.

"Not really sure, doctor. The kid was screaming and when we came in, his father was collapsed on the floor. Must've hit his head on the way down," the male nurse explained as he made room for the tall doctor.

"Okay. How's our young patient doing. Breathing sounds a bit labored," he asked evenly so as not to upset the boy, but needing to determine if Sam had done any damage to himself.

"He pulled his tube out, but not all of the way. We had to reinsert his IV," the female nurse said.

"Okay," Dr. Jungers said before turning his full attention to Sam. "Sam, my name is Dr. Jungers. I've been taking care of you. Can you tell me if it hurts to breath right now? Do you have pain anywhere else?" he asked calmly.

Sam glanced up at the doctor, his eyes conveying the pain he was in without him having to say a word. "'m okay. My dad's hurt," he said softly.

Dr. Jungers smiled as he took Sam's hand. "Sam, your dad is getting the help he needs. Now, I've gotten to know him a bit since you've been here and I'm pretty sure he'd be pretty upset if he knew you were hurting and you tried to cover it up," the doctor said.

Sam turned his head and watched as his father was lifted from the floor and placed upon a gurney that had been brought into the room. He could see the man's chest rise and fall, could see the color in his cheeks. A gauze pad covered his forehead and was already soaking through with blood. He didn't take his eyes off his father until the gurney was pushed through the door and he could no longer see him. Finally, he turned back to the doctor.

"He's bleeding so badly," Sam whispered softly.

Dr. Jungers nodded as he gave Sam's hand another squeeze. "Head wounds bleed a lot, Sam. Your father is going to be okay and now I need to make sure that you are going to be too," the doctor said.

Sam nodded, his eyes still not showing he completely believed what he was being told about his father. He'd never seen John so still…had never seen so much blood. His father was superman afterall. How could he just collapse like that?

"Sam?" Dr. Jungers asked softly, his concern rising as Sam's breathing began to sound more labored.

Sam came out of his reverie and gazed up at the doctor. "I…I can't breathe…it hurts…" he gasped suddenly, his small hand tightening around the doctor's large one.

Dr. Jungers immediately jumped into action, raising the head of the bed before barking out orders to the nurses. "I need to get him into x-ray now!" he shouted at the male nurse before turning toward the other two nurses who stood by. "We need to get an OR ready in case we need to go back in and reinsert the tube. One of you go talk to his uncles. They need to be told about both John and Sam! Try to keep his brothers out of the conversation for now. They're both still recovering too."

Dr. Jungers didn't wait to see if his orders were being followed, his attention already returning to his young patient. Sam's breathing had eased slightly with the raising of his head, but the boy was still having trouble and his eyes told the doctor how scared he was.

"Sam, everything is going to be okay. Just try to slow your breathing a little," the doctor instructed as he reached for the oxygen mask and placed it over Sam's nose and mouth.

Dr. Jungers took Sam's hand again and did what he could to keep the boy calm as they waited for the gurney that Sam would be transferred to before going to x-ray. It didn't take long before the male nurse returned with two orderlies who pushed the gurney into the room. Sam was quickly loaded onto the gurney and within moments was on his way to x-ray.

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Caleb stood beside Dean's bed, watching his young friend sleep for a moment before turning and glancing down at Daniel. He couldn't believe what the teens had been through, what they were still going through. Joshua still slept in the chair he had stretched out in, his soft snores filling the room. Caleb took his seat again, the hunter rolling his head to loosen the tight muscles in his neck. They'd all been through the wringer these past days, but it finally seemed as if things were starting to go their way. Daniel was recovering as was Sam and Dean was back to his usual overprotective, snarky self. John was, well John. Stubborn to the core. Caleb hoped they'd be able to put this hospital…this whole town in their rear view mirrors soon.

Caleb had just relaxed back in his chair when the door opened and a pretty, young nurse quietly made her way to the beds. He stood, immediately sensing that something was wrong. "Is everything okay?" he asked the young woman as she stopped before him.

"Are you one of Sam Winchester's uncles?" the nurse asked softly, her pretty brown eyes glancing quickly to the two sleeping teens.

"Um…yeah, I'm his Uncle Caleb. What's going on?" Caleb replied, his heart rate picking up at the mention of Sam's name in such a way.

"Well…Caleb, there was an accident and…"

"Wait…what? An accident? What the hell happened!" Caleb cried in alarm.

"Can you come out into the hall?" the nurse asked.

Caleb glanced over his shoulder at his young friends then turned back to the nurse. He nodded then followed as the woman moved toward the door. Once they were in the hall, the nurse turned around and glanced up at the expectant hunter.

"Sam's father collapsed and…"

"He what!"

"Sir…Caleb, please, let me finish," the nurse said.

"Uh…sorry…Alice," Caleb replied, his eyes squinting to read the name on the nurses badge.

Alice nodded before continuing to explain to Caleb what had happened. Once she finished, Caleb leaned back against the wall, his hand covering his mouth as he digested this new information.

"Son of a bitch! When are we gonna catch a break?" he hissed as he dropped his hand from his face. "So Johnny should be okay, but Sammy may have reinjured his lung?" he continued softly.

"They took Sam's father to be examined, but it looks as though he'll be okay. Like I said, Sam was having trouble breathing, so they need to take a look and see what course of treatment will have to be done," Alice said as she watched the stunned man before her.

"Okay…what do you need me to do?" Caleb finally asked, once the shock had warn off a bit.

"Nothing right now. Dr. Jungers wanted you to know what was going on. We'll keep you updated," Alice said in reply. "Just…don't say anything to Sam's brothers yet," she added quickly.

"You don't know those boys. They're gonna know something's up as soon as they wake up. They seem to have a sixth sense when it comes to their family," Caleb said.

"Well, just try to tell them as little as possible until we know more of what's going on. I'll find they're doctor and let them know what's going on too," Alice said.

Caleb brushed his hand through his hair as he blew out a nervous breath. "Yeah…okay. Please, just let us know as soon as you know anything," he finally said.

"We will," Alice said as she gave Caleb a quick smile before turning and walking away down the hall.

Caleb watched her go then turned and pushed through the door behind him. He made his way back to the beds and dropped down into his chair. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees then dropped his face into his hands. He barely flinched when he heard Joshua's voice sound from a few feet away.

"Caleb…what's going on?"

Caleb slowly lifted his head and glanced at his friend. He shook his head and let out a slow breath. "Josh, we have a problem," he said, his tired eyes dropping to the floor as he began to recount what he'd just been told.

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Dr. Edmond Driscoll whistled softly as he pulled the black thread through his patient's red, puffy skin before tying the thread off and cutting it. He knew there were nurses and interns who could do the stitch job, but he'd always enjoyed doing little stuff as it made him feel closer to his patients. This one was a bit different than most of the people he saw though. This man had apparently collapsed while watching over his little boy, who was in isolation after being injured in a cave collapse during the earthquake. Ever since the earthquake, the hospital had been flooded with injured and scared people, but this was the first patient he'd seen since then that hadn't been injured in the earthquake itself. This man, it appeared, had become so exhausted by having not one, but three sons hospitalized that his body had finally decided enough was enough. Unfortunately, a side table had gotten in the way of his decent and nearly cracked his head open.

The man had been x-rayed and no skull fracture had been found, plus his eyes were equal and responsive, so a serious concussion was ruled out. Right now, though he sported a deep gash along his hairline and would have two nice shiners in a few hours, his current state of unconsciousness was due to his exhausted state rather than his injury. Dr. Driscoll had given him a mild sedative to allow him the sleep his body so desperately needed. Normally, a patient with any kind of head injury wouldn't be given a sedative, but because all indications pointed to the man's biggest problem being exhaustion, the doctor had made and exception, though he would make sure his patient was closely monitored, just in case.

Dr. Driscoll pulled the final stitch through, tied it off and cut it before placing the needle and unused thread back onto the metal tray that sat on the table beside him. He glanced up when a nurse entered the room and smiled as she approached.

"Helen, could you make sure that Mr. Winchester is watched closely while I'm making my rounds? I'm sure everything will be fine, but he has three sons in this hospital and those boys don't need to be worrying about their daddy," the doctor said as he stood from his stool and lifted one hand to knead at the tense muscles in his neck.

"Of course, Dr. Driscoll. Will you be admitting him?" Helen answered as she secured a clean bandage over the freshly stitched wound on John's forehead.

"No, I don't think so. From what I hear, he would just check himself out once he woke up anyway so he could be with his boys. We'll just keep him asleep for a few hours then let him wake up on his own. We'll re-evaluate him then and probably cut him loose," the doctor answered.

"Okay, doctor," Helen said softly.

"Page me immediately if anything doesn't look right," Dr. Driscoll said, the short man waiting for the nurses acknowledgement before leaving the curtained exam area.

Nurse Helen busied herself with making her patient as comfortable as possible, her pale blue eyes moving over his sleeping form as she straightened his covers before lifting the railings up on both sides of the narrow bed. She'd heard the story of the three brothers who had been caught in a cave collapse and how the youngest had been in very dire straits until recently starting to improve. She fully intended to make sure that her patient got the best care possible so he could be reunited with his sons as soon as possible. She pulled a chair up beside the bed and sat down, her eyes immediately going to the monitors that had been hooked up to the man. The ER had slowed down considerably and this was her only patient at the moment so she made herself as comfortable as she could. There was no way she was going to let her patient wake up alone.

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**Well, there you go. We'll get back to Dean and Danny in the next chapter, plus John will be waking up. Hmmmm, wonder how he'll take the news. Can you say guilt trip! Please let me know what you think. Take care all.**

**Cindy**


	16. Chapter 16

**I know, I know...its been too long for an update. My son is graduating and we had his party this weekend, so we were very busy getting things ready for that. This next weekend is the ceremony so hopefully things will calm down a bit. Anyway, thanks for the wonderful comments. Didn't have time to reply this time...sorry. You guys are the best. So...onto the story.**

**Cindy**

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Joshua pushed up from his chair and immediately headed for the door to Dean and Daniel's room. He was just reaching for the handle when Caleb called out to him.

"Josh…where are you going?"

Joshua turned and glanced at his friend. "I'm going to find out what the hell is going on, that's what I'm doing," Josh replied, his voice kept low so as not to awaken the two injured, sleeping teens.

Caleb stood and walked toward the older man. "The nurse said to wait here. She said…"

"Yeah, yeah…I know. Caleb, what do you think Johnny's gonna do when he wakes up and finds he's not at half pints bedside?" Joshua asked evenly.

Caleb brushed a hand over his face and shook his head. "Crap…they ain't gonna keep him down, Josh. He'll go ballistic," the younger man said.

"Yeah…and what do you think he'll do when they tell him that half pint hurt himself trying to get to him?" Josh asked.

"Son of a bitch…they won't be able to hold him," Caleb hissed, his head turning as he glanced over his shoulder at the two boys under his care. "I'll stay here…you go find Johnny and make sure he doesn't tear the hospital apart when he wakes up," he continued as he turned back toward his friend.

"Yeah," Joshua answered. "Uh…what'cha gonna tell the boys when they wake up?"

"I don't know, Josh. If I tell them, they're gonna be upset, but if I don't, they're really gonna be upset when they finally find out," Caleb answered.

"I don't envy you, Caleb," Joshua said before he once again turned toward the door and left the room.

Caleb turned around, his eyes moving from one still form to the other. He slowly made his way back to his chair and sank down into it. "Neither do I, Josh…neither do I," he whispered as he waited for the boys to wake up.

"Look, I know my brother was brought down here…look again!" Joshua hissed, the tall man beginning to lose his temper with the heavy set woman behind the nurses desk.

"I told you sir, I just came on shift…I'm trying to…" the nurse started, but her words were interrupted by a loud voice booming down the hallway from one of the curtained rooms.

"I said let me loose you son of a bitch!"

Joshua glanced at the startled nurse and gave here a quick smile. "That would be him…thanks for your help," he called as he sprinted down the hall toward the room where the ranting was coming from.

Joshua burst through the opened, curtained door where his friends screams were coming from and came upon a scene he had hoped to prevent. John was fighting against several medical personnel and it seemed that he was winning. One male nurse had blood gushing down from his possibly broken nose while another was already beginning to show the signs of one hell of a shiner. Joshua rushed forward and pushed his way to his friend, ignoring the indignant cries of the doctor, nurses and orderlies. Finally, Joshua was able to get to John and grabbed hold of the enraged man's shoulders.

"Johnny! Stop…calm down!" Joshua cried as he shook his friend.

John snapped his eyes toward his friend at the sound of his voice and grabbed Joshua's arms. "Josh…my boy…my baby boy!" he screamed, his dark eyes filled with desperate tears.

"I know, Johnny…I know. Just…calm down. He'll be okay," Joshua said.

"Calm down! My baby could be…he could be…God, Josh…what've I done!" John cried.

John sagged against his friend, his shoulders suddenly shaking under the sobs that took hold of him. Joshua looked around at the flushed faces around him then turned back toward his friend. "I've got this now. I'll get him out of here," he said as he eased John back onto the small bed in the room.

"Sir, he could have a concussion. He needs to stay here for at least six more hours for observation," the man who was obviously the doctor in this whole set up said.

"I'm not f***in' staying!" John suddenly screamed and made a move toward the doctor again.

Joshua grabbed his friend and held him back. "Johnny, do you want to get kicked out of this hospital? How you gonna help Sammy then? What about Dean and Danny? Just calm your ass down…now!" he shouted as he once again pushed his friend back onto the bed.

John glanced up at Joshua then nodded. "I gotta see my boy, Josh. I gotta make sure he's okay," he said softly, all fight leaving his body as he sagged against his friend.

"I know, Johnny. I'll get you there…just give me a minute, okay?" Joshua replied.

John nodded then dropped his gaze to the floor. Joshua turned toward the doctor, who was eyeing John warily, and shrugged his shoulders. "Look, doc…he's not gonna stay here. All three of his boys are in this place and his youngest is possibly going back into surgery. You need to just let him loose. He'll sign the AMA papers and then you can let him walk," Josh explained.

The doctor, a short man with a graying beard, glanced at his patient then turned to the tall man before him. "He'll still be here…at the hospital?" the doctor asked.

"He won't leave until he can take his boys with him," Joshua answered with a nod.

The doctor sighed and looked once again at the dark haired man on the bed who was now watching him, his eyes narrowed as if daring him to deny him what he wanted. "Okay…I'll get the papers. He needs to be watched though. If anything seems off with him, I want to be called immediately," the doctor said.

"You got it, doc. We'll watch him like a hawk," Joshua concurred.

"Fine…I'll have the papers brought in." The doctor walked up to John and smiled down at him. "Mr. Winchester, just please take care of yourself. You can't carry on forever without sleep and food," he said before turning and leaving the exam room.

John and Joshua watched as the remaining personnel filed out of the room and finally left them alone. Joshua pulled up a chair and sat down at the side of the bed, the man glancing up at his friend.

"So, what happened, Johnny?" he asked curiously.

John brushed a hand over his face, wincing when he came in contact with the bandaged area on his forehead. He pulled his hand away and stared down at his friend. "I…I had a nightmare…lost all of my boys, Josh. I had Sammy right in my hands and then he fell and they were all gone. I guess I woke up and once I got to my feet, I just got so dizzy…then I was falling. That's the last I remember until I woke up in here," John explained, his eyes moving impatiently to the door before he returned his gaze to his friend.

Joshua nodded, his stomach flip flopping at what John had to have been going through. "So, what did they tell you about Sammy?" he asked.

John squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "They…they said he saw me collapse and that…and that he tried to get to me. He…he…oh God, Josh…my baby. What did I do to my baby!" he cried softly.

Joshua stood and moved to sit next to his friend. He nudged the somewhat older man with his shoulder and sighed. "He's gonna be okay, John. Half pint is one tough little cookie. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in spirit…you know that," he said.

John gave a short chuckle and nodded his head. "What if it's too much for him, Josh? He's been through so much and now this? He can't take a surgery on top of it all. It'll be my fault…if we lose him, it'll be my fault. I wouldn't listen…"

"Stop, Johnny…you ain't doing anybody any good talking like that…especially Sammy. He's gonna pull through this, just like he did everything else. He's not gonna leave you or his brothers. He loves you guys too much," Josh said.

John looked at his friend, amazed at the words the man was saying. Joshua was not a talker and he was certainly not one to offer words of wisdom very often, but damn, he was on a roll today. Finally, John nodded then looked toward the door when a young, male nurse walked in carrying a clipboard. The nurse nodded and handed the clipboard to John and waited for him to sign the papers attached. Once John was done, he handed the clipboard back to the nurse and stood from the bed, his friend offering a steadying hand when he wobbled a bit.

"Uh…I'm sorry…about earlier. Are those guys okay?" John asked the nurse sheepishly.

The nurse chuckled slightly as he stepped back. "Yeah…they'll be fine. Never seen one guy take out two orderlies before," he answered.

"They were keeping me from my son," John said as a form of explanation.

"I guess that's not a good thing to do, huh?" the nurse said.

Joshua chuckled as he glanced at the nurse. "You have no idea," he said as he moved toward the door, his hand firmly grasping John's arm.

The two hunters followed the nurse out of the exam room and barely noticed when he turned in the opposite direction that they were to be heading. They hurried as quickly as John's weakened state allowed toward the ICU. Once they stepped through the doors to the ward, Joshua found some chairs and lowered his friend down into one before rushing to the ward desk to see if he could find out anything about they're youngest member's condition.

John sat in the chair, watching for his friend to return. His knee bounced nervously as he waited while one hand massaged at the back of his throbbing head. He thought about how terrified Sam must have been and it made his stomach turn over. If he'd only listened to Sam's doctor, his baby wouldn't be facing possible surgery. Yes, John had been sleeping, but he'd allowed himself to become so exhausted that the hour or so that he'd gotten before the nightmare ripped him awake did nothing for him at all. He'd been too stubborn, too sure that he'd be fine, that he was invincible and it could very well cost him his son.

"Sh*t," John hissed as he dropped his head, his dark eyes staring at the floor between his feet. "Damn it!"

John flinched when he felt a hand on his shoulder and he jerked his head up to find Joshua standing over him. "Johnny…you okay?" the big man asked as he took a chair next to his friend.

John sighed and dropped his eyes again. "Yeah…I'm fine, Josh. Just thinking about what a complete ass I am. I've let my boys down again. Can't seem to stop doing that," the man said miserably.

"Johnny, you haven't let them down," Joshua said.

John shook his head then glanced over at his friend. "What did they say? Where's Sammy?" he asked, his voice filled with fear.

"He's still getting tests and scans done. The nurse said she'll call down and let Dr. Jungers know you're waiting. In the meantime, why don't we move into the waiting room so you can lay down," Joshua answered.

John thought about protesting, but then thought better of it. That's how they'd ended up in this latest mess. He slowly nodded and rose from the chair, the exhausted man following his friend down the hall and into the waiting room where a long couch awaited him. He sank down onto the couch and looked at his friend.

"The second there's any news, you wake me, Josh," John said before he eased himself down onto the cushions and covered his eyes with his arm.

"I will, Johnny. Get some rest and don't worry…half pint'll be fine," Joshua said, the big man hoping he was right.

Caleb paced restlessly at the foot of his charges beds, his nervous eyes constantly moving to the door whenever he heard movement on the other side. He wanted to know what was going on and the waiting was coming close to killing him. He wanted to know how his little buddy was and he wanted to know how John was. He could leave to try to find out, but there was no way he would leave Dean and Daniel. If they woke up and found nobody with them, they'd be scared out of their minds that something horrible had happened, and of course, they'd be right. No, Caleb would wait and watch, and when the boys awoke, he'd tell them what was going on because they deserved to know. He wasn't looking forward to the conversation, but he'd have it with them nonetheless.

Caleb finally moved back to the chair he had moved in between the beds when Joshua had left and sat down, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. He had just settled his elbows on his knees and rested his face in his hands when heard Daniel's soft voice call to him. He lifted his head and glanced at the eldest Winchester sibling. He stood and moved up the side of Daniel's bed then smiled down at the sleepy teen.

"Hey, Danny…you okay?" Caleb asked as he watched Daniel blink his eyes several times before said eyes finally seemed to focus on his face.

"'mmm 'kay," Daniel answered softly.

"How's the leg feeling?" Caleb queried as he fiddled with the blanket that covered his young friend.

Daniel lifted his head and peered down his body before returning his gaze to Caleb. "Uh…it feels better. Doesn't hurt, I think," he answered.

"Good. That's good, kiddo," Caleb said.

Daniel rolled his head and glanced over at his brother. He smiled slightly as he watched Dean sleep. "How's Dean doing? He finally getting some sleep?"

"Yeah…stubborn little brat," Caleb answered with a chuckle, though his voice didn't truly convey any real humor.

Daniel gazed up at his friend, his brow furrowing at something he saw on his friend's face. "Caleb? Is something wrong?" the suddenly worried teen asked.

Caleb stared down at the wide eyes of his charge and took a nervous breath. "Uh…yeah. Something's happened, Danny," he answered, the young man hating the look of fear that suddenly formed on Daniel's face.

"Is it Sammy?" Daniel whispered, his eyes filling as he already knew the answer to his question.

"Yeah, kiddo. Your daddy collapsed and then…"

"What! Dad collapsed? What happened?" Daniel cried, his eyes moving over to Dean as the younger teen moaned in his sleep.

"He's just been wearing himself too thin. From what we were told, he collapsed and hit his head on Sam's bedside table," Caleb answered.

"He's okay though, right?" Daniel asked.

"Josh went to find out what's going on. He hasn't come back yet," Caleb answered, the young man wishing his older friend would return with some good news.

Daniel nodded and lifted a hand to rub at his eyes. "What about Sammy?" he finally asked in an almost panicked voice.

"Uh…he…he saw your daddy fall. From what they could tell, he tried to get to him. Was screaming for help. When they checked him over they found he'd pulled his chest tube loose. He was having a hard time breathing…was in a lot of pain. He…uh…he may need surgery," Caleb answered, his eyes never leaving his young friends face.

"S-S'my?" Dean's slurred voice called and both older hunters moved their gazes to the confused, terrified teen.

Caleb moved to Dean's bedside and pressed the button to lift the head of the bed when he saw him reaching for it. "How much did you hear, Dean?" he asked as he stared down at his young friend.

Dean swallowed and stared up at Caleb with wide, green eyes. "All of it," he answered. "Is Sammy gonna be okay?"

Caleb dropped his eyes for a moment then lifted them and glanced from Dean to Daniel then back. "I don't know, Dean. He's tough though…you both know that," he said softly.

"Can you go find out what's going on, Caleb? Please?" Daniel asked pleadingly.

"I don't want to leave you two. Your daddy would kill me," Caleb answered.

"Caleb…please. We'll be fine. We need to know," Dean said.

Caleb glanced at Dean and sighed. "You'll stay in your bed? Won't try to get out?" he asked pointedly.

"I promise…just please, go find out what's going on," Dean replied.

Caleb glanced at each brother then nodded his head. "Okay…I'll be right back," he said then hurried to the door.

Once the door was shut behind Caleb, Dean turned his head and glanced at his older brother. He could see that Daniel was crying and it made his own eyes fill. Daniel hadn't seen Sam for days, not since the cave. He'd been kept from the youngest Winchester because of his own injuries and Dean knew it was killing him inside. The younger sibling couldn't even imagine how it must feel for his uber-protective big brother to be denied his chance to look after and comfort their baby brother. He only knew how he would feel if he were in Daniel's shoes and it wasn't good. Not even close.

"Danny…he's gonna be okay. You'll see. Dad too. They're both gonna be fine," Dean said with as much conviction as he could muster.

Daniel rolled his head toward his brother and sadly smiled. "How much more does he have to overcome, Dean? How much more can he go through? Dad'll be fine, yeah…I'm sure of that, but Sammy? He's so little and as tough as he is…he…he just can't keep going like this. At some point, his body's gonna give out and I…I can't live with that," Daniel said, the last part coming out on a heartwrenching sob.

Dean couldn't stop his own tears as he listened to his brother's cries. "Sammy's gonna…he's gonna be okay. He wouldn't leave us, Danny…he wouldn't leave us. Not after he fought so hard to save us and then to come back to us," Dean cried

Daniel blinked back tears as he looked over at his younger brother. He loved his family so much and it seemed as though the universe was trying tear them all apart. He had to be strong. He had to suck it up for Dean. He was the oldest. It was his job to comfort Dean, not the other way around. The older boy sucked in a deep breath and willed the tears to stop. He grasped the bed railings of his bed and pushed himself up a little on his pillows. Finally, he was able to force the tears to stop and he smiled over at his brother.

"You're right, Dean. Sammy would never leave us. He'll be just fine," Daniel said, smiling more as his words seemed to give Dean the strength he needed to stop his own tears. Dean smiled back as he wiped the tears from his cheeks.

"He will be. He's too darned stubborn to be anything but be fine," Dean said softly.

Daniel nodded and rolled his head until he stared up at the ceiling above him. "Yeah," he whispered.

Joshua sat in his chair, long legs stretched out across the floor, his eyes staring straight ahead, focusing on nothing particular. John still slept, though his sleep wasn't exactly peaceful. He sometimes would mumble and moan, his brow furrowing as he undoubtedly dreamed about unpleasant things. Joshua could guess what those dreams were pretty easily and as much as he didn't want his friend to experience seeing his boys harmed, he couldn't bring himself to wake the man. John needed to sleep as much as he could, nightmares or not. It was while he was pondering these thoughts that Dr. Jungers walked into the room. Joshua was on his feet in a heartbeat and moved toward the doctor, his hands shaking nervously at his sides.

Dr. Jungers glanced down at John and shook his head. He looked up at the tall man who approached him and smiled tiredly. "How's he doing?" he asked as he shook the hunter's hand.

"Uh…as well as could be expected I guess," Joshua answered as he leant over to wake his friend. "Johnny…wake up. The doctor's here," he said as he gently shook the sleeping man's shoulder.

John's eyes snapped open and it took him a minute to figure out where he was, but as soon as he did, he was sitting up and trying to stand. Joshua's hand on his shoulder kept him from rising though, the bigger man sinking down next to him instead. Dr. Jungers pulled a chair over and sat down in front of the nervous men. He looked at John, took in his pale face and sighed. This man…his whole family had been through the wringer and this latest development was just one more turn of the crank.

"John…I have news about Sam," the doctor said, his voice giving nothing of what he had to say away.

"Tell me, doc. Please…is my baby going to be okay?"

****

**That's it for now. I know...big, bad meanie is at it again. What can I say? :) Please let me know what you think. Take care all.**

**Cindy**


	17. Chapter 17

**Its update time! Yay! Got this chapter written just this evening. Was so busy all week preparing for Jakota's graduation. The ceremony was today and he finally made it! I'm so so proud of that kid. Love him to death! Anyway, I'll let you get to the story.**

**Cindy**

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"_John…I have news about Sam," the doctor said, his voice giving nothing of what he had to say away._

"_Tell me, doc. Please…is my baby going to be okay?"_

Dr. Jungers looked down at his hands then glanced back up at the waiting men. "Sam's going to be okay, John," the doctor said, the man smiling as he saw the relief wash over the two men before him.

"He…he's okay? What about his lung?" John asked, not daring to fully believe quite yet that Sam was going to be okay.

"Well, although he did pull the chest tube out, we've determined that he didn't cause any further damage to his lung," Dr. Jungers answered.

"But, we were told that Sammy was having trouble breathing," Joshua said, his dark eyes staring intently at the doctor.

"Yes…he was. We can attribute that to a panic attack more than anything. Seeing John collapse and the pain from the tube pulling out caused him to begin to hyperventilate," Dr. Jungers explained.

"Where is he? I need to see my boy," John said as he pushed himself gingerly to his feet.

Joshua stood and steadied his friend as the hunter began to waver. Dr. Jungers stood also and pushed the chair he'd been sitting in back to make room for the two men. "He's been situated in a step down room in the ICU," the doctor answered.

"Not isolation?" Joshua asked hopefully.

"No. I think Sam is healed enough to be in a regular room. Of course, we still want to keep a close eye on him for awhile. That's why I've kept him in the ICU," Dr. Jungers said.

"I'm going to see him. What room is he in?" John said as he pushed past the doctor and headed for the door.

Joshua shook his head and turned to the doctor. "Thanks, doc," he said as he followed his friend.

"No problem. Just go up to ICU and ask for Sam's room at the nurse's station. They're expecting you," the doctor replied.

Joshua nodded and gave the doctor a grateful smile. Dr. Jungers nodded back as he followed the men out of the room. He watched as the two men hurried down the hallway then turned in the opposite direction and walked away. The doctor was so thankful that he'd been able to give some good news to the Winchesters. They'd truly been through hell and deserved to have things turn around for them. Dr. Jungers glanced over his shoulder and smiled as the men disappeared around the corner on their way to the ICU. He'd need to check on his young patient soon, but he'd give the boy's father a chance to see for himself that his son was okay.

John and Joshua stepped off of the elevator and immediately started toward the nurse's desk. Before they ever came around the corner, they heard a familiar voice and both men looked at each other before hurrying the rest of the way. They came around the corner and sure enough, there was their friend standing at the nurses station, his hand tapping impatiently on the wooden surface.

"But I'm his uncle! You can tell me which room he's in and how he's doing!"

"I'm sorry, sir, but…"

"But nothing! He's my nephew…I need to know how he is! His brothers need to know!" Caleb cried, his voice rising with his exasperation.

"Caleb? What the hell are you doing up here?" John called out as he neared his friend.

Caleb swung his head around and visibly gulped when he saw the angry face of his friend. "Johnny…are you okay?" the younger man queried nervously.

"Don't change the subject, Caleb. Why are you here and not with the boys?" John snapped, his eyes flashing angrily.

Caleb blew out a breath and took a step back. "They needed some news, Johnny. Josh hadn't come back and they'd woken up and I told them what was going on…"

"You told them! Caleb, how could you be so stupid?" John cried as he brushed a hand through his hair.

Caleb cocked his head, anger beginning to seep into his own eyes. "He's their baby brother…I wasn't going to lie to them. They would've found out eventually anyway," he said in reply.

The sudden snap of something on wood caused the men to jump and jerk their heads to the nurse behind the desk, and she didn't look happy. "Are you all finished yet?" she asked sharply, her hands resting firmly on her ample hips.

"Yes, m'm," Caleb said softly as he ducked his head.

The nurse, a woman who appeared to be her late forties, glared at Caleb then at John, before continuing. "How about you? You finished?" she queried.

"Yes…sorry," John answered.

"Good. Now, this is a hospital, not some biker bar. You wanna fight, take it outside," the nursed quipped evenly.

Joshua chuckled lightly and pushed his way up to the nurse's desk. He smiled at the woman before glancing at his red faced friends. "I'm sorry for that little display. We just want to know where Sam Winchester is. This here is his father," Josh explained as he cocked his head toward John. "Dr. Jungers said he'd been moved here and that we could see him," he continued, using all of his rugged charm to keep his friends from being kicked out of the hospital.

The nurse eyed Joshua for a moment then smiled before turning to John. "Your son is right in that room there," she said as she pointed to the room directly behind the three men. "He's sleeping, but you can go in so long as you don't wake him."

John nodded appreciatively at the nurse then turned toward Sam's room. He rushed to the door, forgetting about his friends in his haste to be near his baby. Joshua looked at Caleb and shook his head. He then turned to the nurse and smiled. "Thank you and once again, so sorry," he said before he too made his way to Sam's room, Caleb right on his heels.

Joshua and Caleb entered Sam's room and stopped just inside the sliding glass door. They watched as John tenderly brushed the hair from Sam's eyes before leaning over and planting a soft kiss to his forehead. They were amazed at how gentle the man could be at times, as opposed to the killing machine he became when on a hunt. Joshua glanced over at Caleb then took a step toward his friend.

"Johnny, we're gonna give you some time alone with half pint. We'll go fill Dean and Danny in on what's going on. They've gotta be going crazy by now," Joshua said as he neared the bed and glanced down at the small boy bundled under the covers, the large man smiling warmly when Sam mumbled something in his sleep before quieting again.

Caleb stepped up next to Joshua, his eyes taking in the bruises on Sam's face and the dark circles that lay beneath his closed eyes. He shook his head, wishing he could take every one of those bruises onto himself. He knew he wasn't alone in his thinking either. None of them liked to see any of their boys hurt, but when it came to Sam, it was nearly unbearable. He was the baby afterall…the one who was protected above all the others. Caleb reached across Joshua and took Sam's small hand into his. He gave it a gentle squeeze before letting it lay on the blanket again. He glanced up and met John's eyes.

"I'm sorry I left the boys, Johnny. They were just so upset and wanting to know what was going on with you and Sammy," he said softly.

John smiled tiredly as he gazed at his young friend. "It's okay, Caleb. I understand. Those two can be as convincing as Sammy when they want to be," he said before turning his attention back to his baby.

Caleb nodded then nudged Joshua. Both men turned and silently made their way to the door. They cast one last glance at John and Sam before they slipped out of the room, leaving father and son to themselves.

John glanced toward the door as his friend's left then turned his attention fully back to his son. His eyes filled as he thought about the latest trauma his baby was forced to endure. This time it was fully his fault, no ifs, ands nor buts about it. He'd been pigheaded and stubborn and Sam had been hurt again because of it. Sure, Sam was going to be okay, but that didn't change the fact that he'd witnessed John's collapse and John would never forgive himself for putting his baby boy through that.

"I'm so sorry, Sammy," John whispered as he tenderly caressed Sam's cheek with his thumb, his large hand cupping the side of Sam's face.

Sam mumbled in his sleep and leaned into his father's touch, his eyelids fluttering, but remaining closed. John's eyes filled at that and he had to blink several times before the tears subsided. He stood above his son for several moments before fatigue began to pull at him. He searched the room, smiling when he saw the sleep chair that had been placed next to the wall. He eased his hand away from Sam's cheek and stepped over to the chair, then slid it as quietly as he could next to Sam's bed. He dropped into the chair and sighed as he let his body relish the feel of the soft cushions beneath him. He reached for Sam's hand then reclined back in the chair. He needed sleep, that much he couldn't deny any longer. As much as he wanted to remain awake to watch over his boy, he didn't want a repeat of what had happened earlier so he gave his son one last loving look before he closed his eyes and let the much needed sleep claim him.

Caleb and Joshua slipped quietly into Dean and Daniel's room, both men hoping, but not expecting to see the teens sleeping once again. The second the door closed, they knew they had been right. The questions started immediately and they had to hold their hands up and tell the boys to talk one at a time. Dean glanced over at Daniel, smiling when the older brother nodded, then turned back to the hunters.

"Is Sammy okay? Is Dad? What the hell's going on? What took you so damned long?" he queried in an impatient rush.

"Slow down, Ace," Caleb exclaimed as he walked up to the foot of Dean's bed.

"We need to know, Caleb," Daniel said from his bed, his voice sounding tired and drained.

"It's all good news, guys," Joshua said, the large man plopping down in the chair nearest to Daniel's bed.

Dean's eyes widened as he looked over at his suddenly very much more awake older brother. He turned his gaze onto Joshua and flashed a hopeful smile. "Sammy's gonna be okay?" he asked guardedly.

"Yes. He's been moved to a step down room in the ICU. No more isolation," Joshua answered.

"Oh…thank God," Daniel said as he tried to pull himself up on the bed so as to see everyone more easily.

Joshua jumped up and moved toward the head of Daniel's bed. "I don't think it'd hurt to have your head raised a bit," he said as he pushed the button to raise Daniel up slightly.

Daniel smiled appreciatively and sighed as his back seemed to loosen somewhat with the change in position. "Thanks, Josh," he said softly.

"No problem, kiddo," Joshua said in reply.

"So, Sammy's okay? He doesn't need surgery?" Dean asked, the other's turning their attention to him as he gazed at Caleb.

"Nope…no surgery. He's sleeping now…your daddy's with him," Caleb answered.

"What about Dad? Is he okay?" Daniel asked.

"He's fine. Took a pretty good knock to the noggin, but he's doing good. Pretty pissed at himself though because Sammy had to see him collapse," Joshua answered.

"Yeah…he should be. He tells me I have to come back to the room to sleep because Sammy doesn't need me to get sick, but then he goes and makes himself sick instead," Dean said, a hint of anger in his voice.

"Dean…cut your dad some slack here. He's been under a lot of stress…worrying about all three of his boys…Sam being so ill," Joshua said as he leaned forward in his chair.

Dean nodded and sighed as he watched the hunter drop his head wearily into his hands. "I know…I'm sorry. I just…Sammy shouldn't have had to see that. He'll blame himself, you all know that," he said.

"Yeah…typical Winchester, that one," Caleb said with a slight chuckle.

Joshua suddenly stood and stretched his hands toward the ceiling. He glanced at the boys in the beds then at Caleb. "I'm gonna go grab some coffee before I head back down to check on John…you want any Caleb?" he said as he moved toward the door.

"Nah…I'm good," Caleb answered. "Think I'll try to get some shut eye…once I get these two back to sleep that is," he continued.

"Okay…see you all in a bit," Joshua said as he slipped out of the room.

Caleb glanced at each boy then took a seat in the chair Joshua had just vacated. "You two better get some more sleep," he said as a large yawn took hold of him.

"Not really tired anymore, Caleb. You can sleep though…we can watch over each other while your sleeping," Daniel said, a slight smile curling his lips.

Caleb eyed the teen then glanced over at Dean. Both boys seemed wide awake and he realized that they probably wouldn't be sleeping any time soon. He also realized he wouldn't be able to keep his own eyes open for very much longer.

"Okay…fine, but you stay in your bed," he said as he pointed at Dean. "And you, don't move around too much," he said, his gaze now aimed at Daniel.

"Cross my heart," Dean said.

Caleb nodded then turned to Daniel. "And you?" he asked.

Daniel shook his head and smiled. "I won't move around. I promise," he said.

"Okay…I have your word, so don't mess with me," Caleb said before he leaned back and stretched his legs out before him.

Dean and Daniel chuckled as Caleb soon began to snore, his mouth hanging open as his body gave in to the rest it needed. Daniel glanced over at Dean and smiled sadly.

"What?" Dean asked, concern for his brother washing over him.

"I miss him. I don't know how much longer I can go without seeing him," Daniel said softly.

"It won't be much longer, Danny. He's out of isolation and you said your leg didn't hurt anymore. I'm sure you'll be able to go see Sammy real soon," Dean said, once again feeling guilty that he'd been able to see Sam when Daniel couldn't.

"Don't, Dean," Daniel said as he shuffled slightly on his bed.

"Don't what?" Dean asked innocently.

"Feel guilty, that's what. You got to sit with Sammy and I didn't. Couldn't be helped and I would never expect you to stay away from him just so my feeling wouldn't get hurt. He's more important…"

"You're just as important, Danny," Dean interrupted.

"Yeah…well, so are you so just stop. I'm glad you got to see him. He needed that…needed at least one of us there. I just happened to get the short straw this time," Daniel said.

Dean sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "You sure you're not mad?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm sure I'm not mad. I just miss the little guy. I've had to go by what you guys tell me and it sucks," Daniel said in reply.

"Soon, Danny…you'll get to see him soon."

"I hope so, Dean."

John came awake in an instant when he felt his hand being lightly squeezed. His dark eyes immediately focused on Sam's face as he sat up leaned forward. Sam moaned as he rolled his head on his pillow, his eyelids fluttering as the boy slowly woke up. John took a breath then pushed up from the chair, the man smiling when no vertigo assailed him. He moved closer to Sam's head and reached out to brush his fingers through the boy's unruly hair. Finally, Sam's eyelids opened and soft, hazel eyes stared up into John's face. John smiled as Sam focused on him and he leaned over a little further so Sam could see him more clearly.

"D'd?" Sam whispered, the boy swallowing against the dryness in his throat.

John glanced over at the side table and noted the pitcher and cup that sat there. He let go of Sam's hand and proceeded to fill the cup. He gently eased Sam up from the bed and placed the straw to the boy's dry lips. Sam took the straw into his mouth and began to suck greedily, the boy nearly humming at the relief the cool water brought to him.

"Slow down, kiddo…don't want you to make yourself sick," John said, allowing Sam a few more gulps before he pulled the cup away.

Sam gazed up as John eased him back down, his eyes moving to the bandage on his father's forehead. He reached up, his small fingers ghosting lightly over the bandage until John reached up and wrapped his large hand around Sam's small one and pulled it away.

"You 'kay?" Sam asked, his face a mask of worry.

"I'm fine, Sammy. Don't even have a headache," John answered.

"You…you fell…and…and you weren't moving…and…" Sam stammered, his breathing quickening as he remembered the scene.

"Shhhh…calm down, kiddo. It's okay…I'm okay. You helped me," John cooed as he attempted to calm his son. The last thing Sam needed was another panic attack.

Sam watched his father's eyes as he followed the man's breathing, his own breathing slowing until it was at a normal rate again. "You really okay?" he asked in a small, fear filled voice.

"Yes, Sammy. I'm sure. I'm sorry I put you through that, kiddo," John said as he lowered the railing on the bed and sat down next to his baby.

"I was so scared, Dad. What happened?" Sam asked, his wide hazel eyes staring up at his father.

"I was just tired. Got lightheaded when I stood up," John explained.

"My fault…" Sam started.

"No, Sammy…not your fault. How could it have possibly been your fault?" John interrupted.

"If…if I hadn't gotten hurt…if I'd have gotten Dean and Danny out of the cave before it collapsed…if…"

"Stop. You didn't mean to get hurt…couldn't have stopped it. And as for Dean and Danny…that wasn't your fault either. None of this is your fault, kiddo. You tried to get me to listen…you tried to get your brothers to listen. This is not your fault, Sammy…understand?" John said, gently yet firmly.

Sam gazed at his father and finally nodded. He took a deep breath and let it out before speaking again. "Dad…what's happening to me?" he asked nervously.

"How do you mean, Sammy?" John replied with confusion.

"I…I dreamed about the earthquake and…and then it happened. I'm scared…I…I don't want to be a freak, Dad…I don't want you and Dean and Danny to hate me!" Sam cried, his eyes filling with tears.

"Awww, Sammy…you are not a freak and we could never hate you. Not in a million years could we hate you," John said as he leaned over and took his baby into his arms.

Sam melted into his father's arms, the boy relishing the safety the embrace offered him. It hurt his shoulder and his back, but he didn't care. He closed his eyes and allowed himself one moment to believe that all was well before reality snuck back in and snatched heaven away from him. He pulled slightly away and looked up at his father.

"But…I saw the earthquake before it happened. I know that's not normal, Dad," he said as a tear trailed down his cheek. "Will you…will you h-hunt me?" he asked softly.

John gasped then pulled back from Sam. "What! Hunt you? Sammy…no…never. Don't even ask something like that!" he exclaimed, his heart hammering in his chest at the thought that his baby could even think something like that.

"But…you always said its all black and white. Either you hunt and kill or you don't. I…I had a premo…a premonition. That means I'm not a normal human, so I must be evil…"

"It means nothing of the sort. You are my son! Having a premonition about an earthquake and trying to prevent your brothers from being hurt is anything but evil Sam! You're a hero…"

"Wh-what? I'm not…"

"Yes, you are. You are a hero. You risked your own life to save your brothers. That makes you a hero in everybody's book," John said as he once again pulled his son close and began to softly rock the upset boy.

Sam squeezed his eyes shut as he allowed himself to be rocked. He'd been so scared that he'd be pushed away because of what happened. He never dreamed he be called a hero. He didn't feel like a hero. He'd just done what his brothers would've done for him if the roles were reversed. He still couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right within him, that the premonition came from something evil, but his father had said he wouldn't hunt him so Sam took some solice in that. His father was here, right now, holding him in a protective embrace. He'd worry about what the other stuff meant another time. His eyes slowly began to close as the rocking motion lulled him and he finally fell asleep in his father's loving arms.

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**NO CLIFFY! Can you believe it? I know...I can't either. I figured it was time to go easy on them for a bit. I'm going to be working on getting Danny and Sam together now. Danny can't take much more of the separation. Of course, we'll get Dean in there too. Three brothers you know...together! Can't wait. Hope you liked the chapter and that you'll let me know. Love you all!**

**Cindy**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey guys! I have a short update for you. I'd planned on continuing from where it ends, but I just got too tired and really wanted to post tonight. I am planning on posting more this weekend, so...bonus! Thanks so much for all of the wonderful reviews. I'm so happy you're still enjoying this story. Anyway, I'll let you get to the story.**

**Cindy**

****

"Dad…please…I'm fine. I need to see Sammy," Daniel pleaded as he gazed hopefully up at his father.

"Danny, I know you do, but I think you should stay put for a few more days," John replied, his heart breaking at the look on his eldest son's face.

"Its not fair! Everybody else has gotten to visit him except me! He's gonna think I don't want to see him. Dad…please," Daniel cried, his eyes glancing over at Dean as the younger teen watched the exchange.

"Danny…"

"Dad, Danny's right. Why can't he go see Sammy? Dr. Swenson said the clot is nearly gone and shouldn't cause anymore problems," Dean piped up, hoping to convince his father to change his mind.

John turned his attention to Dean and shook his head. "She also said that he should still take it slow for a while longer, Dean," he said before returning his gaze to Daniel. "Just a few more days, kiddo. Sam knows you want to see him…we've all told him and he wants to see you too, but he's worried about you at the same time. He doesn't want anything more to happen to you," John continued as reached down and gave Daniel's hand a squeeze.

Daniel stared up at John then rolled his head on his pillow until he was turned away from both his father and brother. He pulled his hand from John's and rested it on his stomach as he closed his eyes. He could feel his eyes stinging as tears welled, but he refused to let them fall. He'd cried enough already. He was so tired of being trapped in his bed, unable to see his baby brother. He felt completely helpless and useless. He was the oldest brother for cripes sake. It was his job to watch over his younger brothers, but so far he'd been the one being watched over. He and Sam. He'd done nothing to help Sam fight his way back, had laid in his bed while his baby brother fought for his life. His father and brother had been the ones to help the kid.

It wasn't that Daniel wasn't thankful for what they'd been able to do, but he felt as though he had failed Sam in some way. Sam hadn't heard his voice and felt his touch. In the end, Sam hadn't needed him. Sam had pulled through just fine without Daniel being there and that was what hurt so much. Daniel existed for his family and to find out that Sam hadn't needed him stung. He needed so badly to see Sam. He'd be able to see by the look in the boy's eyes if he was still needed or if his absence had forever changed the way his baby brother looked at him. His father just didn't understand. He didn't understand that this wasn't just Daniel missing Sam. It was so much more than that.

Daniel could hear John and Dean saying his name, but he kept his head turned away and his eyes shut. He could feel sleep pulling at him and while earlier he had fought to stay awake, this time he let it take him. At least in his dreams his family still needed him.

Dean sighed as he watched his older brother sleep. He knew Daniel was torn up that he'd been denied the opportunity to see Sam yet again. He could understand completely. He'd be going crazy if he hadn't been allowed to sit with his baby brother like Daniel had. He couldn't see what the problem was. Dr. Swenson had said the danger posed by the blood clot had passed so why couldn't he get wheeled down to see Sam? It wasn't fair and Dean was royally pissed right now. He was mad at John for not seeing how much Daniel needed to see Sam. He could see it so why couldn't John? Dean sighed again, wishing he could do something for his brother.

"Hey…that's the second sigh in like… thirty seconds. You going Scarlet O'Hara on me, Ace?" Caleb queried from where he was seated between the two beds.

Dean glared at his friend before returning his gaze to his brother. "He needs to see Sammy, Caleb," he finally said as he rested back against his pillow.

Caleb glanced over at Daniel and nodded his agreement. "I know, but what can we do. Your daddy said he had to stay in bed, so…"

"Yeah, well that sucks!" Dean interrupted sharply. "There's no good reason for him to be kept away, plus, Sammy needs to see him just as much!" he continued.

"I agree. Poor kid is always asking about his big brother," Caleb said.

Dean nodded, fully understanding his friend as he'd had to explain to a groggy, teary Sam several times why Daniel couldn't come visit just yet too. It tore him apart seeing both brothers so miserable. He had to do something. He knew that both Daniel and Sam would benefit from seeing the other. Sam couldn't get out of bed yet, but Daniel could. They'd had him up a few times, sitting on the edge of the bed to get used to being upright again. Daniel had done well. He'd gotten a little dizzy, but that hadn't lasted. Dean cast his gaze to Caleb and cleared his throat.

"Caleb, I need you to do something for me," Dean said as soon as Caleb met his eyes.

Caleb was on his feet in an instant, his attention fully on his young friend. "What is it? You need some water? You in pain?" he asked nervously.

"No…Caleb, I'm fine. I just…uh…well…," Dean stammered before taking a deep breath. "How long did Dad say he'd be at the motel?" he finally asked.

"Your Daddy? Uh…he was gonna try to catch a few hours of sleep…why?" Caleb answered, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the teen.

"So…we got time," Dean said mostly to himself as he glanced over at his brother. He returned his gaze to Caleb and smiled. "I need you to get another wheelchair," he said.

"What? Are you…no way…uh uh…I ain't gonna get myself on your daddy's bad side, kid," Caleb said as he backed away from the bed.

"Caleb, come on! I can't do this myself and you know just as well as I do that Danny and Sam need to see each other. We can get Danny down there, he can visit with Sam for a bit then we can get him back here before Dad ever gets back!" Dean cried passionately. "Dad will never know!"

"What about Josh? He's down with Sammy. What's he gonna say when we all three stroll through the door?" Caleb asked.

"He'll see it our way. He may be old like Dad, but he'll be cool about it, I'm sure of it," Dean said in reply, the teen's green eyes pleading with his friend to help him.

"Okay, maybe, but what about the nurses?" Caleb queried.

"It's Rachel's day right? She's all over you, Caleb. You can get her to do anything…all you have to do is flirt her up a bit and she'll be eating out of your hand," Dean said with a smirk on his lips.

"Crap, Dean…I don't know. Johnny'll kill me," Caleb said.

"Look at how miserable they both are. We have to do this, Caleb and you know it!"

Caleb glanced at Daniel and sighed. He'd just come up from Sam's room when Joshua had taken over the watch an hour ago and the kids words about missing his big brother were still running through his head. Finally, Caleb looked back at Dean and nodded, earning him an ear to ear grin from the teenager.

"Okay, I'll go talk to Rachel and find a wheelchair. Get your brother awake. We need to do this as quickly as possible so we can have Danny back in his bed before Johnny gets back here," Caleb said.

"Thanks, Caleb…you're the best!" Dean quipped as he reached for his wheelchair and pulled it up to the bed.

Caleb watched as Dean pulled himself to the edge of the bed before reaching down and gripping the armrest on the wheelchair. He dragged himself over the edge of the bed and lowered himself down onto the seat, his casted leg still supported on the bed. He lifted the leg rest then pulled his remaining leg down. Once he was settled, Caleb nodded and left the room. Dean rolled himself to Daniel's bed and gently nudged the older teen's shoulder. Daniel mumbled something before his eyes slid open and he stared in confusion at his younger brother.

"D'n? What's goin' on?" Daniel whispered, the boy still half asleep. Suddenly, his eyes widened as dark thoughts entered his mind. "Is something wrong! Is Sammy okay?" he cried, his eyes wide with fear.

Dean gripped Daniel's arm and squeezed just enough to get the teen's attention. "Danny…calm down. Sammy's fine," he said.

Daniel sighed with relief, but the confusion remained on his face. "Then…what're you waking me up for?" he asked with an air of irritation.

"Me and Caleb are springing you," Dean answered.

"What? What are you talking about?" Daniel asked, more confused than ever.

"We're taking you to see Sammy."

Daniel's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. "But…what about Dad? He said I had to wait," he asked warily.

"Dad's at the motel getting some shut eye in a real bed. He'll be gone for a few hours at least. We'll have you back in bed before he gets back. He'll never know," Dean answered.

"He'll find out and you know it. I don't want you to get in trouble," Daniel said, though his eyes said he really wanted to go.

"I don't care. Dad's wrong this time. He won't get mad when he sees how much good it's done for you and Sammy."

"Dean…I don't know…"

"You want to see Sammy, right?"

"More than anything…you know that."

"Yeah…I do. And he wants to see you so badly. We're doing this."

"What about Josh? Is he with Sammy?"

"Yeah, but he doesn't really agree with Dad's decision either, so I think he'll help us."

Daniel stared down at his brother then finally nodded, a wide grin breaking out on his face. At that moment, the door opened and Caleb came strolling in pushing a wheelchair, nurse Rachel right behind him. He smiled when he saw Daniel watching him with barely contained excitement.

"You ready, kiddo?" Caleb asked as he rolled the chair up to the side of the bed opposite Dean.

"Yeah…I'm ready. You sure you want to risk Dad's wrath just so I can see Sammy?" Daniel asked as the nurse and his friend carefully lifted him from the bed and eased him into the chair.

"Yep…it'll be worth it to see half pints face when you roll into his room," Caleb answered as he placed a pillow on the leg rest of the chair then lowered Daniel's injured leg upon it.

Nurse Rachel took the blanket from the bed and draped it over Daniel's lap. "Are you comfortable, Daniel?" she asked softly.

"Yep, I'm good," Daniel answered.

Rachel nodded then pulled the IV bag from the metal pole beside Daniel's bed and hooked it onto the pole that was attached to the wheelchair. "Well, then we better get going," she said as she smiled down at the boy before turning to Caleb and winking.

Dean chuckled as he backed his chair out from between the beds. Caleb stood and went around Daniel then took the handles in his hands and pushed the teen toward the door. Rachel did the same with Dean and soon the group of adventurers were hurrying down the hall toward the ICU. 'Operation Brothers Unite' was finally underway!

****

**So, that's it for now. More coming this weekend, barring any unforseen complications. Please let me know what you think.**

**Cindy**


	19. Chapter 19

**I'm back, as promised with the continuation of the previous chapter. First of all, thank you all for the wonderful reviews. I wish I could have responded to each of them personally, but for some reason, the site wouldn't let me. Hmmmm...**

**Anyway, I'll let you get to the reunion.**

**Cindy**

****

John groaned as he rolled over onto his back, his dark eyes slowly peeling open to peer at the watch on his wrist. He sighed as he closed his eyes again. He'd slept longer than he'd expected to and he really should get back to the hospital, but he was still so tired. He considered going back to sleep. His boys were out of danger now and were being watched over by Caleb and Joshua. They'd let him know if he was needed. John let his body relax again and began to give in to the pull of sleep. A few moments later however, his eyes popped open and he wearily pushed himself into a seated position on the bed. He'd stayed away for too long already. It didn't matter that Sam was out of the woods or that Daniel's blood clot had almost disappeared. He belonged at the hospital with his boys and he wouldn't allow himself any more time for self indulgence.

John swung his legs over the edge of the bed then pushed to his feet. He shuffled to the bathroom and splashed cold water over his face then glanced up into the mirror. Bloodshot, dark ringed eyes stared back at him. He barely recognized his own reflection. The exhaustion and fear had worn him down, taken the fullness from his face and left him with sunken, haunted eyes. But, that would change now. Now that he could breathe. Now that he could dare to close his eyes without the fear keeping him from real sleep.

John pushed away from the sink and made his way back to his bed. He sat on the edge of the mattress and leant over to pull on his boots. He stood then reached for his jacket before grabbing his keys and heading for the door. He frowned at the rental car as he shut the door behind him before he moved around to the driver's door and slipped inside the small car. It was the best Joshua could find at the moment. The earthquake had left many without vehicles, so rentals were hard to come by. Still, John had never thought he'd ever drive a compact. He shook his head as he backed away from the motel and headed for the street. He put his turn signal on to turn in the direction of the hospital, the man eager to return to his boys, but the sudden grumbling in his stomach made him turn the opposite direction instead.

John drove for a few blocks until he came to a small diner set a ways off the street. He figured it was high time he and the others had a decent meal in them instead of the cafeteria food they'd been surviving on. All except Sam that was as the kid was still not allowed solid food. John pulled the car up to the diner, turned off he ignition and stepped out of the car. He strolled into the diner and sat down at the counter. He smiled up at the waitress when she handed him a menu then set about deciding what to order for his sons and friends. A few minutes later he placed his order and sipped on the cup of coffee he had ordered to pass the time. He tapped his foot nervously as he waited for his order. He wanted to get back to his boys, had been away for too long already. He chuckled to himself at his impatience.

"They're probably all still asleep," he whispered to himself before he asked for a refill on his coffee.

Caleb came to a stop outside of Sam's door and glanced back at Dean. Dean nodded and waited for his friend to open the door. Caleb went around Daniel and smiled down at the teen before sliding the door open. Daniel leaned over in his wheelchair as the door opened, hoping to get a glimpse of his baby brother. He huffed impatiently at a curtain that was drawn to block the room from outside view. Caleb gripped his arm and gave it quick squeeze before moving behind him and pushing him into the room, Dean following close behind. They went around the curtain and Daniel's eyes widened when he got his first look at Sam. He swallowed at how small and pale his brother looked. Joshua, upon seeing Daniel stood and eyed Caleb questioningly.

"What the hell? Did Johnny finally see the light?" he asked as he moved from beside the bed and allowed Caleb to push Daniel into his spot.

"Uh…not exactly," Caleb said in reply, the younger hunter locking the wheels on Daniel's chair when the teen was close enough to the bed to touch his brother.

"Whoa, wait a minute! You snuck him out of his room, didn't you?" Joshua spat, his surprised eyes moving from Caleb to Dean, who was grinning from ear to ear as he watched his older brother take his younger brother's hand, the teen completely ignoring the two older men.

"Now look, you know as well as I do that…" Caleb started, but his words faltered at the sound of Daniel's quiet voice. Both Caleb and Joshua cast their gazes to the two brothers, neither one saying another word as they watched the so far one sided reunion.

Daniel held Sam's small hand in one of his as the other reached up to tenderly cup one cool cheek. He felt tears rise, but he held them at bay. He didn't want Sam to awaken to a blubbering idiot of a brother. He leaned forward as far as his awkward position allowed and smiled down at the sleeping boy.

"Hey, Sammy…wake up, squirt," he pleaded softly as he gently stroked Sam's cheekbone with his thumb. "It's Danny…I'm here. Please wake up," he continued.

Dean rolled up to the other side of the bed, Rachel having left the small family to return to her duties on Dean and Daniel's ward. He glanced over at Daniel then turned his gaze to Sam's face. Daniel continued to coax his baby brother and finally was rewarded when soft, hazel eyes slowly opened and stared up at him. Sam blinked a few times, the boy seeming to be confused for a moment before those soulful eyes widened and a warm smile broke out on his face. He leaned his face into Daniel's hand and closed his eyes, relishing in the feel of his brothers touch. He slowly opened his eyes again, eyes that were now bright with unshed tears.

"Danny…you came," he breathed out, eyes never leaving his eldest brother's face.

"Yeah, kiddo…I came. Sorry it took so long," Daniel answered, his own tears threatening to fall when he realized what he saw in Sam's eyes. He saw the love…and he saw the need. Sam still needed him…still looked at him with the same awe that the kid had always looked at both his big brothers with. He hadn't lost his baby brother's love and he hadn't lost his trust.

Sam narrowed his eyes as he watched his brother's face. "No, Danny…you couldn't come. I knew you wanted to be here, but you couldn't. You were here though, even if you couldn't actually be here," Sam whispered and for a moment Daniel thought maybe his baby brother was still a bit out of it.

"What? I don't understand. I wasn't here, Sammy. I was stuck in my room…not with you as I should have been," Daniel protested.

Sam lifted his other hand and rested it over his heart. "You were here," he said softly, his hand lightly tapping his chest, wide hazel eyes gazing longingly at his brother.

Daniel couldn't stop the tears after hearing his brother's words. Damn kid. Damn puppy dog eyes. He gently lifted Sam's hand and planted a tender kiss to the small fingers before smiling up at the expectant eyes. Sam pulled his hand from Daniel's and lifted it to brush the tears from his brother's cheeks. He smiled tiredly as he dropped his hand back down to the bed.

"You were always here, Danny…I could feel you as much as I could Dean and Dad," Sam whispered, his eyes already beginning to droop.

Daniel nodded, the teen not trusting himself to speak at the moment. He glanced over Sam at Dean and found his brother watching him, his eyes suspiciously blinking before he dropped his chin and mumbled something about the damn dust getting into his eyes. Daniel chuckled before turning back to Sam. He took his baby brother's hand again and smiled.

"Thank you, Sammy. You don't know how much that means to me," Daniel said.

Sam rolled his head a little more toward his brother and smiled. "I'll always need you, Danny," he said softly.

Daniel blinked in surprise at that. Once again, Sam had shown him that even though he was just a boy, he was more perceptive than most grown ups were. Daniel swallowed as he gave Sam's hand a gentle squeeze. "I'll always need you too, kiddo," he whispered.

Sam smiled then rolled his head over to where Dean sat watching the exchange. Dean sat up straighter as he met Sam's eyes. "Hey, kiddo," he said.

"Hey, Dean. Thanks," Sam replied.

Dean cocked his head as he watched his baby brother. "For what?" he asked.

"You know what for," Sam replied before glancing over at his eldest brother. He returned his gaze to Dean after a few moments.

"This is our little secret okay? No need for Dad to know we broke Daniel out," Dean instructed lightly.

"My lips are sealed," Sam replied before his mouth opened in a wide yawn.

Tired, hazel eyes blinked up at first Dean, then Daniel, Sam trying desperately to stay awake. The older brother's smiled as they watched their baby brother fight the sleep they knew would win in the end. The kid's body craved sleep right now in it's quest to heal and it wouldn't be denied, no matter how hard Sam fought it.

"Sleep, Sammy," Daniel said softly, his eyes fondly watching Sam's face.

"Not tired," Sam argued, even as his eyes once again began to droop.

"Yeah…and Yogi Bear doesn't sh…"

"Dean…not in front of the kid," Caleb shot quickly, eyebrows raised as he eyed his young friend.

"Sorry," Dean said sheepishly before grinning up at Caleb.

"Well, I think it's time to get Danny back to his own room before a certain someone finds out that his instructions weren't followed to a tee and we all lose our asses to his wrath," Joshua said as he moved to the foot of Sam's bed. "You, go back to sleep. You'll have plenty of time to visit with both your brothers, but right now, you need sleep," he continued, though his voice was softer than any of the others had ever heard it.

"But, 'm not tired," Sam protested. Within a few moments however, his eyes closed and his breathing evened out as sleep claimed him once again.

All four hunters watched their youngest sleep for several minutes, the affection showing clearly in their watchful gazes. Finally, Caleb stepped behind Daniel and grasped the handles of his wheelchair. "Time to go back, Danny," he said as he pulled the chair away from the bed.

Daniel knew better than to protest. He'd gotten what he wanted, though he hadn't spent nearly the amount of time he'd hoped to with Sam. Still, any amount of time was worth it. Daniel glanced over his shoulder at his friend and smiled. He felt lighter than he had since this whole nightmare had started. He felt like he could finally truly begin to heal.

"What about Dean? That nurse left and I'm not leaving Sammy. John's already going to be pissed enough when he finds out about this," Joshua said.

"He won't find out unless someone tells him, Josh," Dean said.

"If you believe that, then you don't know your daddy at all, kid," Joshua said in reply.

Dean snickered as he grabbed the wheels of his chair and backed away from the bed. "I can get myself back up to the room. I just let the pretty nurse push me so Caleb would get jealous," he said with a grin.

"Jealous? Of you?" Caleb asked incredulously. "Dream on, small fry."

"She digs me, Caleb. Get used to it," Dean quipped.

"She…"

"What the hell is going on in here!" an angry voice boomed suddenly, causing all awake eyes to jerk around in surprise and the asleep boy in the bed to begin to stir.

Nobody said a word as they waited with bated breath to see if Sam would awaken. Finally, the boy settled and once again all eyes drifted to the angry man, his arms burdened with go boxes, who stood at the edge of the curtain, a murderous look in his dark eyes.

****

**So, I know I could have made that scene a little bit longer, but in reality, with everything Sam has been through, he probably wouldn't be able to stay awake for very long. I hope I conveyed what both brother's were feeling even with the short amount of time they had together. They'll have a lot of time to catch up in the future...if pissed off Daddy Winchester lets any of them live. Sam is probably the only truly safe one. Well, I hope that wasn't too gooey or anything. You'll let me know though, right? LOL Take care all.**

**Cindy**


	20. Chapter 20

**I'm finally finished with the next chapter. I was a bit under the weather this week. I got bit by a spider and ended up with an infection. Man, not fun at all. Anyway, as a result, I'm not sure how happy I am with this chapter, but I didn't want to screw it up anymore than I already have, so I decided to just post it. I'll let you get on to reading and you all can be the judge if I should really write when on heavy duty prescription medications! LOL**

**Cindy**

****

"D-Dad…we…we thought you were sleeping," Daniel said, his eyes wide as he stared up at the angry face of his father.

John scowled down at him as he moved toward a chair and dropped the boxes of food into it. He turned on Daniel and crossed his arms. "Sorry to disappoint you," he hissed as his dark eyes scanned the faces that stared at him. "Now, I want to know why you disobeyed me!"

Caleb stepped around Daniel's wheelchair and faced his infuriated friend, unable to listen to the berating Daniel was receiving. "Johnny, he needed to see Sammy…and half pint needed to see him too," he said as he too crossed his arms over his chest.

John locked gazes with Caleb, his face turning red as his anger rose. "Stay out of this, Caleb, it's none of your concern…although I'm pretty sure you had a hand in all of this!" he snapped before returning his gaze to Daniel.

"Dad…" Dean started as he rolled his chair closer to his brother.

"You know what…you're right," Caleb interrupted as he took a step toward John. "I did have a hand in this, and do you want to know why?" he continued.

"Do enlighten me," John said tersely.

"Because those boys need each other and you seemed bound and determined to keep them apart," Caleb shot. "You couldn't see what keeping Danny from Sam was doing to either one of them. I get it…I really do, it's been a rough week, but think of the boys…"

"I am thinking about the boys! Dammit!" John snapped fiercely. "I'm thinking about Daniel's leg!"

"John…I think you need to calm down," Joshua said as he moved up to his friend. "You're gonna wake the kid."

John glanced over at the tall man and sneered. "Calm down? Are you serious? You know…I didn't think you'd be a part of this, Josh. I thought maybe you would stand by my side instead of going behind my back!"

"Dad…Josh didn't have anything to do with this. Neither did Caleb…or Dean. I wanted to see Sammy and I told them all that I would see him with or without their help," Daniel said as he gazed nervously up at the angered man.

"No…that's not true, Dad. I was the one who brought it up. I talked Caleb into it and Danny was just so desperate to see Sammy," Dean said as he gave his brother a glare.

"You're all just so damned determined to take the blame aren't you! Well then, you can all take the punishment," John hissed as he met each hunter's eyes.

"Dad…" Dean started.

"I'm not done talking!" John snapped, cutting his middle son off. "Now, because you both so blatantly disobeyed me, neither of you will see Sammy until I say so!"

"No…Dad…please. Dean was just trying to help me…don't punish him," Daniel pleaded. "Don't punish Sammy."

John turned on Daniel, his dark eyes flashing with anger. "Don't try to guilt me by using Sam! You don't get it, Daniel. I was just protecting you. Do you think I wanted to keep you and Sam apart? I was looking out for your well being and you went behind my back!"

"D'd?" a sleepy voice suddenly sounded and all eyes turned to the small boy in the bed.

John instantly quieted and made his way to the bed. He smiled down as dewy, hazel eyes stared up at him. He reached down and brushed messy hair from Sam's face. "Hey, kiddo…I'm sorry for waking you up," he said, the angry voice from a few moments ago replaced by a softer, more concerned one.

"It's okay," Sam replied softly. "Thanks, Dad."

John cocked his head as he watched Sam glance over at his brothers. "Thanks for what, squirt?" he asked.

Sam glanced back up at him and smiled. "For letting Danny visit me. I was really missing him, and I think he was missing me too," he whispered, his long lashes brushing his cheeks as he blinked tiredly.

"Yeah? You were missing your big brother?" John asked, his lips curling into a slight grin as he ruffled Sam's hair.

"Uh huh…I got to see everyone else 'cept Danny, but you let him come see me. I know his doctor didn't want him to. Thanks," Sam said softly.

John watched Sam and shook his head. He glanced up at the others and eyed each one before looking back down at his baby. "You should get back to sleep, kid," he instructed.

"'kay, Dad," Sam said sleepily.

John waited until Sam's breathing had evened out before he stepped away from the bed and motioned for everyone except Joshua to follow him out into the hall. Joshua moved to the side of Sam's bed and took his seat, watching as Caleb and the two eldest Winchester brothers trailed slowly after the large man. He shook his head as he glanced over at Sam. He reached up and straightened the blankets over the boy then smiled warmly.

"Pretty sneaky, squirt. You probably saved your brother's and Caleb a world of hurt right there," he said before he settled back in the chair and waited for his friend to return.

John turned as the door to Sam's room closed and glared angrily at Dean, Daniel and Caleb. Caleb moved in front of his young friends and glared back.

"Johnny, I know you're pissed, but think about this, okay? You know how much these boys need each other," Caleb said.

"Caleb, I'm gonna stop you right there," John said with a shake of his head.

"Johnny…"

"You really want to stop talking right now," John interrupted.

"Dad, it's not Caleb's fault…it's mine," Dean said.

John held his hand up, halting anymore talking. "We're not doing this here. We'll discuss then when we get you both back to your room," he said before turning and walking away.

Caleb, Dean and Daniel glanced nervously at each other before Caleb moved behind Daniel and began to push him after the retreating Winchester. Dean followed after, his stomach knotting at the ass chewing he and the others were going to be getting when they reached their room.

John paced the floor at the foot of his son's beds, his dark eyes glancing at first one then the other. Caleb had been sent back down to Sam's room to retrieve the dinners John had brought and Caleb was more than happy to oblige, the young man feeling lucky to have gotten out of the room with his ass intact. John had chuckled under his breath when Caleb had ducked out of the room, his eyes wide and face red. John hadn't started on his sons yet. Better they stew in their fear for a bit. Finally, he stopped pacing and stood between the two beds, his gaze moving from one nervous face to the other. He clasped his hands behind his back sighed.

"So, you've both succeeded in corrupting your little brother I see," he said gruffly, the man smiling to himself as Dean and Daniel glanced at each other fearfully before looking back at him.

"Sir?" Daniel finally asked.

John glanced at Daniel and shook his head. "He lied to me. He's never done that before," he said. "So…what do you think his punishment should be?"

"What! Dad…no, you can't punish Sammy!" Dean cried, his green eyes widening at the thought that Sam could be punished after having been so ill. "Dad…please, cut the kid some slack…he's still all drugged up."

John cocked his head and considered his son before shaking his head. "Nope. Sam lied to me. I have to nip this in bud before it becomes a habit," John said. "So, what should his punishment be? An extra mile of running every day? Maybe he should clean all of the weapons every night for…oh, I don't know…a month?"

"Dad…you can't be serious," Daniel said.

John glanced at Daniel and shrugged. "Yeah, you're right. Not direct enough. Maybe I should just spank him…the belt always works good."

"What!" two voices cried out in unison. "Dad…you're gonna hit Sammy? You can't! He's…he…just, Dad…you can't!" Dean pleaded.

"Dad…this is my fault. If you need to punish someone, punish me. You can't spank Sam…please, Dad," Daniel cried as he tried to push himself further up in the bed.

John stepped toward the bed and placed his hand on Daniel's leg. "Stop, Danny. I'm not gonna punish Sam, alright?" he said.

Both boys looked up at him with confusion. "You're not?" Dean asked.

John shook his head. "No…he may have lied, but he did it to protect you two. I wouldn't expect any less."

"Wait," Daniel said as he cocked his head. "So, you were just messing with us?"

John shrugged then grinned at the shocked looks on his son's faces. "Worked, didn't it," he said with a chuckle.

"That…that was just mean, Dad," Dean said.

"Yeah, it was. But, considering how you completely disobeyed me, I'd say you both got off easy," John said evenly.

"Making us think you were gonna spank Sam is getting off easy? I think I'd rather you beat the crap out of me than even think about you hitting Sam, Dad," Daniel said.

"Sneaky, Dad…very, very sneaky," Dean said with a shake of his head.

"Well, you boys needed to know that it's not alright to disobey me," John said. "Now, that being said, I understand why you did it and maybe…maybe I was wrong this time," he said.

Dean's jaw dropped as he stared at his father. He glanced over to see that Daniel held the same expression on his face. "Uh…are you messing with us again, Dad?" he asked carefully.

John chuckled as he glanced at each boy. "Nah…I'm not messing with you. I know it doesn't happen very often, but this time…I was wrong. Sometimes I can be a bit stubborn though, so…"

"No…you stubborn? Never," Daniel said with a smile.

John laughed and moved up between the beds. He glanced between his boys before dropping his eyes to the ground. "Look, I'm still mad that you disobeyed me, but I understand. I know how messed up I was when I couldn't get in to see Sammy. I should have thought about that with you, Danny," he said as he raised his eyes and looked over at his eldest son.

Daniel swallowed against the lump in his throat and smiled at his father. "Thanks, Dad," he whispered.

John nodded then looked toward the door. "Where the hell is Caleb with that food? I'm starving," he said under his breath.

Dean grinned as he watched his father then turned his head to look at his brother. Daniel glanced over at him and smiled and for the first time since that fateful day when the mountain shook, Dean could see a light at the end of the tunnel.

**Corny...yeah. Do I care? Nah! LOL I hope you liked it and I know you'll let me know. We're getting close to the end on this one. So, take care and I promise I will really try to respond to your comments this time. **

**Cindy**


	21. Chapter 21

**Well, this is it. I had a lot of trouble figuring out just where to take the rest of the story and finally came to the conclusion that it has simply run its course. So...this is the final chapter and epilogue...all rolled into one. I just want to thank everyone for their support and wonderful reviews. Also, I've had a lot of requests to write another story that focuses on Danny. I still can't believe that a third brother has been so positively accepted so I just want to thank you all for that too. I've received some ideas for Dannycentric stories and do plan on writing one. I'd also like to hear any ideas for a Deancentric three brothers story. Okay, I think that's it...so...on with the story!**

**Cindy**

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**Two Weeks Later**

Sam raised his face up, eyes closed as he relished the kiss of the midday sun as it warmed his body. He hadn't felt the sun in nearly a month, the full amount of time he'd been confined to the hospital and the comfort the warmth brought him lifted his spirits even higher than finally breaking free of the hospital had. Finally, he lowered his face and opened his eyes to a scene that shone much brighter than the sun ever could. Dean and Daniel stood next to the Impala, both on crutches and wearing wide, happy grins as John wheeled Sam across the wide sidewalk to where the car waited, back door open and inviting. His brothers had been set free a week earlier, but both had insisted on spending their days perched next to Sam's bed rather than in the motel room that had been rented for them. It was only when they had been ordered by their father to go get some sleep that they would leave, both boys barely able to keep their eyes open as Caleb and Joshua ushered them from the room and to the waiting car. John never left the hospital and the others had given up trying to get him to. Even Sam's insistence and his puppy dog eyes couldn't make John leave. He slept next to Sam's bed, ate next to Sam's bed and used the shower in Sam's private bathroom when he needed to.

Sam was going home. Well, he was going back to the motel, but it was home because that's where his family was. There was still physical therapy for his shoulder so he wasn't completely free of the hospital, and neither he nor his brothers were quite ready for any road trip yet. Dean was still in a cast and Daniel was still limping due to the injuries to his legs. Bobby had offered his home to the family, as had Pastor Jim, but John had turned them both down, at least for now. They needed to have time to relax and be a family together once again before they took to the road. Sure, they'd been together every waking moment, but it wasn't quite the same when Sam was still in the hospital. Now that Sam had been released, they could really spend time together and though John was eternally grateful to Caleb and Joshua for sticking with the family for all of this time, he was looking forward to it just being the four of them for awhile.

John pushed Sam up to the car and locked the wheels of the wheelchair before coming around to help Sam into the back seat. Daniel slipped into the seat first and slid to the middle then waited until Sam had been helped in, the youngest Winchester rolling his eyes, but allowing his family to help him even though he felt perfectly capable of walking and getting himself into the car. He understood their need to take care of him and wouldn't deny them no matter what. He hissed slightly as his shoulder was jarred when he dropped into the seat and he immediately felt Daniel's hand on his arm.

"Sammy, you okay?" Daniel asked worriedly, his large worried eyes meeting Sam's.

"I'm fine, Danny. My shoulder's just still a little bit sore," Sam responded with a small smile.

"You're sure? Can you breathe okay?" Dean asked from where he'd positioned himself in the front seat, his head turned so he was looking at both his brothers.

Sam turned his head to look at his brother and nodded. "Yes, I can breathe just fine. I'm fine, don't worry," he answered softly.

"Boys, let him be. He'll tell us if there's something wrong, won't you squirt," John said as he crouched down and looked his baby boy over, the man hiding his own worry from all three of his sons.

"Yeah, Dad…I'll tell you. It was just a little twinge when I got in the car. Nothing to worry about," Sam replied before he suddenly opened his mouth into a wide yawn.

John chuckled and patted Sam's knee before glancing over at Daniel and smiling. "Looks like I better get you to the motel so you can take a nap, Sammy," he said as he stood and shut the door.

"I'm not tired, Dad," Sam protested, his eyes glancing over as John leaned into the open window.

"You had a pretty intensive physical therapy session today, kiddo, and I can see you're plenty tired," John said with a grin.

"But, Dad…Dean said there's a VCR in the room and that you rented a bunch of movies. We were gonna watch some when we got there," Sam whined, another yawn breaking out, much to his chagrin.

John chuckled and reached in to ruffle Sam's hair. "You'll have plenty of time to watch movies, Sam," he said before turning to push the wheelchair back up next to the hospital doors.

John hurried to the Impala and climbed behind the wheel. He looked in the rearview mirror and smiled affectionately. Daniel's arm was behind Sam's back, the smaller boy pulled to his oldest brother's body, his shaggy haired head resting on Daniel's shoulder. The boy was fighting sleep, but his eyes were winning the battle. John knew Sam would be asleep before they ever made it out of the parking lot. He met Daniel's eyes, the teen smiling as he pulled Sam even closer and rested his cheek on the boy's head. John pulled his eyes away from the heartwarming scene and glanced over to his middle child. Dean had his head turned so he could see his brothers and he too was smiling warmly. He glanced over at his father and nodded. _'Everything's finally as it should be' _his eyes seemed to say and John couldn't agree more. He knew it would still be a few weeks before they could leave this town behind, but he was going to make the most of it while they were there. He didn't have to worry about medical insurance not coming through as Pastor Jim had contacted the hospital, giving them a legitimate policy for which to charge the extensive medical bills too. Sam would get the proper physical therapy he needed and John was beyond thankful for the friendships he'd made. How John was ever going to repay his friend was beyond him, but he'd worry about that another day.

John pulled away from the curb and slowly made his way through the parking lot then out onto the street. He glanced in the rearview once again and as predicted, Sam was out for the count, his long, dark lashes fanning out over his slightly rosy cheeks as he snuggled close to his brother's side. Daniel's eyes met John's and he smiled before he too closed his eyes, a soft, relieved sigh ghosting over his lips. John returned his gaze to the street before him and allowed his body to relax as he made his way toward the motel which would be their home for the next two weeks. His family was back together as they should be and John vowed that nothing would ever succeed in tearing them apart. Not mother nature, nor humans, nor anything from the supernatural world that existed just on the fringes of reality. He'd fight to the death to keep his family safe and he knew without a doubt that his boys would do the same. He also had his close friends who he knew would do anything in their power to protect his boys if need be. They'd proven that over and over again in the past and John had no reason to believe that it wouldn't remain that way well into the future.

John sighed to himself as he thought of their future. He wasn't so naïve to believe that his family would ever be left alone. History had proven over and over again that to believe that was just plain ignorant. He just hoped that whatever trials came their way, they would survive and pull through as a family, just as they had done every time before. He had no idea what lay ahead for them, but he knew how strong their love for one another made them and he prayed that that love would always be enough to pull them through, no matter what was thrown at them. It would have to be. It was the strongest weapon they had, the one they could always rely upon. John had no idea that in four short years, that love would be tested, that evil would strike at the very heart of his family and he and his boys would never be the same again.

**EPILOGUE**

John sat on the top step of Bobby's back porch, a cold bottle of beer clutched loosely in his hand and a smile on his face. Bobby sat next to him, his own beer sitting next to him, both men watching the three Winchester brothers as they wrestled on the small patch of grass that made up Bobby's back yard. Dean's cast had come off the week before and though the first few days he'd limped around, unsure of himself and how his leg would hold up, the following days had been spent making up for lost time with his brother's taking the brunt of his pent up energy. Daniel's limp had disappeared and Sam's shoulder only gave him momentary bouts of discomfort. All three boys it seemed were making up for lost time. While Daniel and Sam had been able to get around fairly easily once they'd reached Bobby's house two weeks prior, Dean was still tied down somewhat by his cast and both his older and younger brother refused to do anything that Dean couldn't join in himself. He'd told them time and again that it was okay and that he didn't mind watching them spar and what not, but inside it made him feel good to know that they didn't want to do any of that if he couldn't be a part of it also.

Sam suddenly grunted as he was tackled to the ground by his brothers and both John and Bobby sat up straighter, their eyes showing worry until they heard the boy's laughter coming from beneath the two larger boys. "Get off of me! Geez, you think you two should lay off the cheeseburgers for awhile?" the boy shouted through his laughter as he pushed to get out from underneath his brothers. Dean and Daniel pushed themselves up, each taking one of Sam's hands as they pulled him up from the grass.

"Sorry, Sammy…didn't mean to crush you there. You okay?" Dean asked as he leaned over slightly to get a good look at Sam's face.

Sam chuckled as he glanced up into his brother's eyes. "I'm fine you big bully," he snorted out before suddenly launching himself at Dean, the unsuspecting teen falling to the ground, his eyes wide with surprise as Sam landed on top of him, the smaller boy laughing at the expression on his big brother's face.

Sam reached down and began to mercilessly tickle Dean's sides and when Dean tried to buck him off, Daniel dropped down and joined his baby brother in the torture. Dean's screams echoed across the yard, drowning out the laughter of the two older hunters who watched the scene from the safety of the porch. The boys continued their attack on Dean until finally, the teen yelled uncle and all three collapsed to the ground, huge smiles spread across all three's faces. After a few moments, Daniel rolled over and pushed himself to his feet. He pulled first Dean then Sam up before he walked to the steps where his father and friend were sitting.

"Hey, Dad? Is it okay if we take a walk to the creek? We'll be back before dinner," Daniel asked as he brushed grass from his clothes and hair.

John looked down at his boy then over at the two younger ones before nodding his head. "That's fine, but remember it's pretty high so be careful," he said as he returned his gaze to Daniel.

"We will, Dad…thanks!" Daniel replied happily before turning and hurrying back to his brothers.

"Watch out for Sammy you two!" John called as he stood up and stretched his back.

"Daaaad! Geez…" Sam whined as he rolled his eyes.

John chuckled to himself before putting on his sternest look and glaring down at the boy. "Don't geez me young man. You remember the last time you all went to the creek. You came back looking like a drowned rat," John reminded his youngest as he placed his hands on his hips.

Sam dropped his eyes, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment at the reminder of his fall into the rain swollen creek and subsequent near drowning the previous summer. "Yes, sir," he mumbled softly.

Dean and Daniel, both of whom had paled slightly at the frightening memory, glanced up at their father as they flanked Sam on either side. "We'll watch him, Dad…don't worry," Daniel called, the older boy nudging his baby brother then giving him a smile when Sam glanced up at him.

"I know you will," John called back. "Now get going…and don't forget you need to be back before dinner!"

"Yes, sir," all three boys answered before taking off toward the woods and the creek that lay beyond.

John watched after the boys then walked over to an old wooden chair that sat along the wall on the house. He dropped down into the chair with a sigh, his dark eyes moving back just in time to see the boys disappear through the trees. Bobby walked over and took a seat in the other chair and glanced at his suddenly silent friend.

"Johnny…what's wrong?" the older hunter asked, his gaze following John's. "They'll be fine you know."

John glanced at his friend and nodded. "Yeah…I know. I just can't forget about how close I came to losing all three of them," he whispered gruffly.

Bobby took the cap from his head and ran his hand through his thinning hair before replacing the cap and looking back at John. "You didn't lose them though, John. They're here and they're fine…a little worse for wear, but they'll be back to one hundred percent before you know it," he said.

"It was so close, Bobby. If it weren't for Sammy getting out of that cave, they'd all be gone," John said wearily.

"Well, thank God that the squirt did get out," Bobby replied.

John looked back toward the woods and sighed. "Yeah…but he nearly died as a result and…"

"But he didn't die. None of them died. They're alive and well," Bobby interrupted.

"I know. It's just…it's made me realize just how quickly I could lose everything. In the blink of an eye, my whole reason for living, my whole reason for fighting could be gone," John said.

"Well, there's another thing it should have made you realize, Johnny," Bobby replied evenly.

John looked over at his friend questioningly and cocked his head. "What's that?" he asked.

Bobby shrugged and dropped his elbows to his knees, his hands clasping as he watched his friend. "That you have three amazing boys who are a lot tougher than they get credit for…especially Sam. That boy proved that he can take care of himself and his family. And Danny and Dean? They held it together and never gave up on each other or you. They did everything in their power to survive until help arrived," he answered.

John smiled and nodded at Bobby's words. "Yeah…they are pretty amazing. I still can't get over what Sammy was able to do. Guess he's not so much a baby anymore, huh?" he said proudly.

"No, he's not. Kid's growing like a weed. I have an inkling he's gonna be bigger than all of you some day," Bobby said with a chuckle.

"Now, let's not get carried away, old man. He may be growing like a weed, but he's still pretty small. I find it hard to believe he'll grow bigger than his brothers," John replied.

"Okay…you mark my words though, Johnny."

"Yeah…okay."

"Well, we better start dinner. Those boys will be hungry soon," Bobby said as he stood from the chair and headed for the door. "Oh…and there's probably at least one who'll be wet."

John grinned as he stood and gazed out toward the woods where his boys had gone. He sighed before turning and following his friend into the house.

Sam smiled as he watched his brothers rough house and try to knock each other into the creek. Though he wanted to join in, his mind kept going back to last year and he in no way wanted a repeat of that whole debacle. Once the fear had worn off, his brothers had teased him mercilessly. Better one of them be the one to get wet this time around. Sam sat on the ground, his back leaning against a large tree, knees pulled up to his chest. He let his mind wander as he listened to the sound of his brother's laughter and soon his smile disappeared as ominous thoughts entered his head. Suddenly, he was shaken from his thoughts as a hand rested on his knee and a concerned voice met his ears.

"What?" Sam asked as he glanced up into Dean's face

"I asked what you were thinking about. You were a million miles away," Dean said as he plopped down next to Sam.

Daniel sat down on Sam's other side and looked over at his baby brother. "Is there anything wrong, Sammy?" he asked with concern.

"No…I…um…I don't know," Sam admitted as he glanced between his brothers.

"Sam…you can tell us if something is bothering you," Daniel prodded lightly as he gave Sam a gentle nudge with his shoulder.

"I…do you…um…do you guys think I'm a f-freak?" Sam finally whispered, his eyes dropping to his knees as he waited for his brother's answers.

"Well, you do kinda…"

"Dean! He's serious," Daniel hissed before turning back to Sam.

"Sorry…geez," Dean muttered before he too looked at Sam. "Why ya asking us that, kiddo?" he asked.

Sam blew out a deep breath and raised his eyes to stare out over the creek. "It's just that I…I saw what was going to happen. The earthquake you know? Doesn't that make me a freak? I mean…Dad says it doesn't, but…I…I just don't know. It scares me," he said softly as he dropped his eyes again.

Daniel scooted around and reached out to take Sam's chin in his hand. He gently lifted Sam's face and smiled when the boy's dewy eyes met his. "Hey…you're not a freak. Lots of people have had premonitions and they weren't freaks. You remember that lady we saw on TV who was just about to get onto an airplane then suddenly just had a thought that she shouldn't and then the plane crashed? She never had anything like that happen before or after. It was just a onetime thing," he said as he continued to hold Sam's chin.

Sam nodded, his hazel eyes wide as he stared at his brother. "Still, with everything we know…maybe I…I don't know. I had that dream for days, Danny…for days," he said fearfully.

"Sammy…stop. You're not a freak," Dean said, the teen smiling when Sam turned toward him. "You saved our lives."

"Yeah…but how? I mean…the dream and then everything I did. How did I do all of that? The doctor said that I…"

"Forget what the doctor said. He doesn't know you. You were able to do all of that stuff because you're tough. You're a Winchester and Winchesters do what needs to be done when lives are at stake. Anybody's lives, but especially family's lives," Daniel said as he draped an arm over Sam's sagging shoulders.

"Don't freak yourself out, Sammy. You did an amazing thing, but it doesn't make you a freak. Why you so upset about it anyway?" Dean queried curiously.

"Because I…I thought…back at the hospital I was afraid that Dad and you guys would…would…"

"Would what?" Daniel prodded.

Sam sighed and sagged back against the tree, Daniel's arm keeping him from cracking his head. "I thought Dad and the others would think they needed to h-hunt me," he whispered.

"What! Are you nuts? Hunt you? Why would we hunt you? Because you dreamed about something that came true?" Dean cried as he rolled over onto his knees and grasped Sam's arms.

Sam gazed up at his brother, a little bit of fear showing in his eyes. "Well…y-yeah. Remember that guy in Alabama? He could see the future and…and Dad hunted him. What makes me any different?" he finally replied.

Dean huffed as watched his little brother. He cast a quick glance at Daniel before returning his attention to his idiot little brother. "Sammy…that's not even close to being the same thing. That guy could see the future at will and he used that to hurt people. He was evil. You're not evil…you used what you saw and saved us," Dean answered.

Sam swallowed down his fear and dropped his eyes to his knees. "But…what if that guys…ability started out just like mine? What if at first he was good, but then he turned bad because of it? I don't want to turn bad, Dean," he cried, his eyes wide and pleading.

"First of all…you don't have an 'ability', Sam. It was a dream…one dream. Well, one dream over several nights, but still…just one dream. Second, there's no way you could ever go bad," Dean replied as he scooted closer to Sam's side.

"Yeah," Daniel started, the teen smiling when Sam turned his hazel eyes his way. "Dean's right. Let's say you do have an 'ability'…just for the sake of this conversation. There's no way in hell you'd ever use it for bad, Sam. You're too good of a person. You're the best person I know. We would never hunt you because there would be no reason to," he finished as he drew Sam to his side and gave him a gentle hug.

Sam pulled back and smiled warmly up at his eldest brother. "So…you think this is just a onetime deal? 'Cause…I don't want to see the future…I mean, unless I can help you guys. I'm scared, Danny," he said softly.

Daniel pulled his arm from behind Sam and turned so he was facing the frightened boy. He reached out and cupped the back of Sam's head and smiled. "I think it's just a onetime deal and I also think you have nothing to be scared about. Me and Dean will always keep you safe, no matter what. Dad will too and you know it," he soothed as he drew his and Sam's foreheads together.

Sam closed his eyes and sighed. He pulled away and opened his eyes, the boy casting his gaze from one brother to the other. Finally, he nodded and smiled. "Okay…thanks guys," he said softly.

Dean shook his head then pushed himself to his feet. He reached down for Sam's hand and pulled the boy up. Daniel followed his brothers up and moved to stand beside Sam. "Come on, we better get back. Dad and Bobby will be sending out a search party soon," Daniel said as he pressed his hand against Sam's back and gently nudged him forward.

"Wait…there's something I need to do first," Dean said as he stepped in front of his brothers.

"What's that?" Daniel asked curiously.

"This!" Dean shouted as he lunged forward and grabbed Daniel, pushing the older and slightly taller teen toward he creek.

"Dean! You little…" Daniel yelled, the older boy reaching up and grabbing Dean's arms before attempting to turn them so that Dean was the one closest to the water.

Dean shouted out in victory as he kept his brother from succeeding in turning him then gave the older boy a push toward the water when he felt Daniel's grip loosen slightly. His laughed as Daniel began to fall backward, but his victory was short lived when at the last moment, Daniel was able to tighten his grip again and both boys fell with a large splash into the ice cold water. Sam ran to the bank of the creek, the boy laughing hysterically when both of his brothers sat up sputtering and soaked to the skin.

"Dean…I'm gonna kill you!" Daniel shouted as he made it to his feet first.

"And just how you gonna do that, nancy boy?" Dean answered as he scrambled to his feet and trudged out of the water behind his brother.

Daniel opened his mouth to answer, but Sam's hysterical laughter stopped him and both he and Dean turned to see Sam bent over, hands on his knees as he continued to laugh. Sam looked up and his laughter exploded as he witnessed both brothers, soaking wet, hands on their hips eyeing him with disbelief. He lifted one arm and pointed at the boys, his breath hitching as he tried to draw in air around his giggles.

"You sh-should see y-yourselves," Sam stammered, tears leaking from his eyes as he continued to laugh.

"Oh yeah? You think this is funny?" Dean finally asked as he and Daniel slowly moved toward their baby brother.

"It's freakin' hilarious!" Sam shouted, the boy giving out a startled yelp when he was suddenly grabbed by both brothers and hoisted into the air. "Hey! Put me down!"

Dean chuckled and glanced over at his dripping brother. "So…what do you think, big brother?" he asked lightly.

Daniel glanced back at Dean and smiled. "I think the little bitch needs to be taught a lesson about laughing at his brothers," Daniel answered before both teens began to carry Sam toward the creek.

Sam gasped and began to fight against his brothers. "Don't you dare! Dad'll kill you if you throw me in!" he shouted as kicked and twisted in an attempt to break free.

"We'll just tell him that you tried to push us both in and we all went in," Dean said nonchalantly.

"No…he'll…" Sam started, but then he was being swung out over the creek. He squeezed his eyes shut and closed his mouth, preparing himself, but then he was swung back toward land and dropped to the ground, both his brothers breaking out in laughing fits of their own.

Sam opened his eyes and stepped back from his brothers. He glanced at both boys and though he wanted to be angry, he couldn't be. He began to laugh along with his brothers and soon all three were huddled together, keeping each other from falling as their laughter continued. Finally, the laughter died down and the boys straightened up and looked at each other. Daniel moved forward and draped his arm across Sam's shoulder while glancing over at Dean, who stood on Sam's other side.

"We better get back," he said as he once again nudged Sam toward Bobby's house.

Dean nodded and kept the slow pace with his brothers, none of the boys actually in any hurry to get back. Dean draped his arm over Daniel's and together the boys walked in silence, Sam sandwiched between his older brothers, just like it always had been and probably always would be. Sam glanced up, first at Daniel then at Dean and smiled a wide, warm smile.

"Dad's gonna be so pissed," he said softly as his arms wrapped around his brother's waists, the three boys locked in solidarity, now and forever.

**THE END**

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**Well...all finished. Fin...done! I hope the ending didn't disappoint at all. Please let me know. I did post a one shot last night if anybody wants to take a look. I also have two completed stories that I will be posting once they've been posted for the person whose prompt they were written for. That will be later this month. In the meantime, don't hesitate to offer any ideas you may have. Love you all!**

**Cindy**


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